Japan’s PM Ishiba seeks fair treatment from Trump

February 07, 2025 (MLN): Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will cautiously try to convince Donald Trump to treat Tokyo better than other allies Friday when he becomes the second foreign leader to meet the US president since his return to power.

The bookish 68-year-old will gently seek to protect Japan from the tariffs that Trump has threatened elsewhere.

He will also emphasize that Japan is a key U.S. partner against a rising China and a nuclear-armed North Korea.

While the avowed "geek" and model warship fan is unlikely to replicate Trump's close bond with former premier and golf buddy Shinzo Abe, he will at least try to build a connection with the mercurial US leader.

"It would be wonderful if we could affirm that we will work together for the development of this region, and the world, and peace," Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the trip, as APP reported.

 The soft-spoken, cigarette-smoking Ishiba is expected to focus on the fact that Japan is the top foreign investor in the United States, hoping to appeal to Trump's "America First" policies.

Trump and Ishiba are expected to issue a joint statement vowing to build a "golden age" of bilateral relations, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported, echoing the main slogan from the US president's inaugural speech.

He is also set to tell Trump that Japan will increase defense purchases from the United States, the Nikkei report said.

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

But the main goal for Ishiba, who has only been in office since October and heads a minority government, is simple: stay on Trump's good side.

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