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Japan and the US are crucial defence allies and each other's leading foreign financiers

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday left for the United States ahead of what will be President Donald Trump's 2nd top with a foreign leader considering that his go back to the White House.

Japan is one of the closest allies of the United States in Asia with around 54,000 US military personnel stationed in the nation.

Ishiba will be pushing for peace of mind on the importance of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump's "America First" agenda risks encroaching on the nations' trade and defence ties.

"It would be fantastic if we might affirm that we will work together for the advancement this area and the world and for peace," Ishiba informed press reporters in Tokyo before leaving for wiki.rrtn.org the journey.

Japan's Nikkei newspaper said Thursday the pair will provide a joint declaration, which could vow to develop a "golden age" of bilateral relations and bring the alliance to "brand-new heights".

Ishiba is expected to tell Trump that Japan will increase defence buy from the United States, trade-britanica.trade the Nikkei said.

Ishiba may likewise propose importing more US natural gas-- chiming with Trump's plan to "drill, child, drill" while enhancing energy security for resource-poor Japan.

Since Japan has actually cut its liquefied gas (LNG) imports from Russia, it "frantically needs to open new sources of LNG, and other energy more broadly", Sheila Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, informed AFP.

"The intention is to present a win-win value proposition from Ishiba to the president," she said.

Trump will satisfy Ishiba in Washington on Friday-- just days after a joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the US president stimulated outcry with a proposal to take over the Gaza Strip.

The Japan top might be less surprising, Smith said, as Trump "has a fairly strong commitment to the alliances in Asia".

- Taiwan hazard -

Ishiba has actually stressed the significance of US defence ties, pointing to hazards on Japan's doorstep such as China pressing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Tokyo needs to "continue to secure the US dedication to the area, to avoid a power vacuum causing local instability", Ishiba just recently informed parliament.

Trump and Ishiba are anticipated to affirm the significance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese media said.

That would echo joint statements made by the last US president Joe Biden with previous Japanese prime ministers.

Focusing on this point is "incredibly important" due to the fact that Japan and the United States need to collaborate to prevent a prospective crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, a global relations professional at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.

As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the burden of defence expenses, nevertheless, there are issues Trump might supply less cash and push Japan to do more, Smith said.

"That's where ... the Ishiba-Trump relationship could get a bit sticky," she said.

- After Abe -

Also triggering jitters is Trump's determination to slap trade tariffs on major trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico-- though he has actually postponed procedures against the latter 2 nations pending talks.

"I hope Ishiba will show him there are other ways to attain financial security," such as working together on innovation, Shiraishi told AFP.

One example is the Stargate drive, announced after Trump's January inauguration, to invest approximately $500 billion in AI facilities in the United States, led by Japanese tech investment behemoth SoftBank Group and US firm OpenAI.

Reports said the leaders might also talk about Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion quote to purchase US Steel, which Biden obstructed on national security grounds.

Japan and the United States are each other's leading foreign investors, and the Nikkei reported that the leaders will settle on producing an investment-friendly environment.

During his first term, Trump and Japan's then-prime minister Shinzo Abe delighted in warm relations.

As president-elect in December, Trump also hosted Akie Abe, the widow of ex-premier, for a supper with Melania Trump at their Florida house.

Trump developed a strong relationship with Abe, for whom Smith believes he had a "real fondness".

He will likely "see Ishiba through a different lens", said Smith, and "it will be more the state-to-state relationship, not the individual".

Ishiba, 68, will not be the first Japanese VIP to satisfy the 78-year-old Trump personally considering that he took office-- a difference held by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son.