By Trevor Hunnicutt, Tim Kelly and John Geddie
TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump met Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo on Tuesday for talks on trade and security, praising her elevation as the country’s first female leader and her pledge to accelerate a military buildup.
Takaichi is expected to offer a package of U.S. investments in a $550-billion deal agreed this year, including shipbuilding, and increased purchases of U.S. soybeans, natural gas and pickup trucks, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
She also plans to inform him she is preparing to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, following other world leaders that have recommended Trump for the accolade he has long sought, broadcaster NTV reported on Tuesday, citing government sources.
Those gestures may temper any Trump demands for Tokyo to spend more on defending islands from an increasingly assertive China, which Takaichi sought to head off by pledging last week to fast-track plans to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP.
“It’s a very strong handshake,” Trump said, as the pair posed for photos at the Akasaka Palace in downtown Tokyo, before Trump was guided into the ballroom for an honour guard.
They were earlier heard chatting about late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a close political ally of Takaichi who struck up a bond with Trump in his first term during hours spent golfing together.
“Everything I know from Shinzo and others, you will be one of the great prime ministers. I’d also like to congratulate you on being the first woman prime minister. It’s a big deal,” Trump told Takaichi as the pair sat down for discussions with their delegations.
He also praised Japan’s efforts to increase its military capacity and purchase more U.S. defence equipment, while Takaichi said Trump’s role in securing ceasefires between Cambodia and Thailand, and Israel and Palestinian militants, were “unprecedented” achievements.
Trump was last at the palace, an ornate residence built in a European style, in 2019 for talks with Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.
The U.S. leader received a royal welcome shortly after his arrival on Monday, meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace.
GIFTING ABE’S GOLF CLUB
During their meeting, Takaichi will present Trump with one of Abe’s golf clubs in a gesture meant to rekindle the close bond the two leaders had formed on golf courses, a source familiar with the plan told Reuters.
The source sought anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the media.
A similar close relationship with the leader of Japan’s key security and trade partner could help Takaichi bolster her weak political position at home.
Though she has seen a surge in public support since becoming prime minister, her coalition government is two votes shy of a majority in parliament’s lower house.
Trump and Takaichi will later visit the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka near Tokyo, which is home to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of the U.S. military’s powerful presence in the region. The two are also expected to sign an agreement related to critical minerals and rare earths, which are crucial for a wide range of products from smartphones to fighter jets, according to a White House official.
Trump will then meet business leaders in Tokyo, before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea. In talks there with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said he hopes to seal a trade war truce between the world’s two biggest economies.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly, Trevor Hunnicutt, John Geddie, Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Lincoln Feast)
