Shigeru Ishiba has sought engagement with President Donald Trump since his election in November to keep a strong U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will have his first in-person meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, Japanese officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Ishiba is expected to visit the United States between Thursday and Saturday and will meet Trump in Washington, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement that Ishiba “intends to build a relationship of trust and cooperation” with the Trump administration and “elevate the Japan-U.S. Alliance to new heights.”
According to the MOFA, Ishiba is scheduled to travel from Tokyo to Washington on Thursday, depart from Washington on Friday, and arrive back in Tokyo on Saturday.
The United States is Japan’s only treaty ally. Ishiba has sought engagement with Trump since his election victory in November to keep a strong U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific amid increased Chinese aggression in the region and North Korea’s missile tests.
Speaking to Parliament last month, Ishiba said Japan faces “the most severe and complicated security environment” since World War II and needs to bolster its defense capabilities, elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance, and expand and deepen ties with other partners.
After Japanese media outlets reported last week on Ishiba’s upcoming visit, Trump paid tribute to Japan’s late former prime minister Shinzo Abe, whom he called “a very close friend,” and told reporters on Jan. 31 that he looks forward to meeting with Ishiba.
During his first term, Trump revived the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Japan, India, and Australia, known as the Quad, along with Abe, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and then-Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, to counter the Chinese regime in the Indo-Pacific region.
In a sign of the Trump administration’s continued focus on the Indo-Pacific, on Jan. 21, Marco Rubio spent his first day as secretary of state hosting his Quad counterparts.
The ministers reaffirmed their “shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended” and said they “strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion” in the Indo-Pacific.
Rubio also spoke to Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong about their countries’ security pact with the United Kingdom known as AUKUS, which was created during the Biden administration.
During his confirmation hearing, Rubio backed AUKUS, in which the countries collaborate on bolstering technological capabilities. The United States and the UK are also working to help arm Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.