Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 7 in the leaders’ first face-to-face talks in Washington, as Ishiba looked to build ties – and avoid friction – with his unpredictable American counterpart.
Ishiba was largely successful on this front, with the two pledging to pursue a “new golden age” of U.S.-Japan relations – though the Japanese leader did get an earful from the president about the need to slash the United States’ trade deficit with its ally.
While Ishiba offered praise of Trump, and noted that Japan was the biggest investor in the U.S., something he pledged to continue by stepping up spending, the president insisted that he wanted “equality” in the trade balance between the two countries, pointedly saying “yes” when asked whether tariffs could follow if no progress was made.
Looking to head off any row over trade, Ishiba was quick to emphasize during a joint news conference after their meeting that Tokyo has been the largest foreign direct investor in the U.S. for five consecutive years, with the prime minister conveying a willingness to cooperate to raise Japanese investment to an “unprecedented” $1 trillion (\152 trillion). (The Japan Times)
毎週届く！
