Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hopes to meet US President-elect Donald Trump in the United States this month, four sources said, in an attempt to emulate then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s close ties during Trump’s first term.
The US is Japan’s most important economic and security partner, while Tokyo is a key Washington ally in Asia, providing bases that allow it to keep a large military presence on China’s doorstep.
Ishiba told reporters he had held a five-minute phone call with Trump on Thursday morning Japan time and that they agreed to meet as soon as possible.
Shigeru Ishiba, the newly elected leader of Japan’s ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds a press conference after the LDP leadership election, in Tokyo Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP)