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Japanese Prime Minister Meets with President Trump
2025-02-07 15:12:59 / BOTA
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba meets with President Donald Trump at the White House today (Friday).
As Voice of America correspondent Bill Gallo reports, Japanese officials say they want to reaffirm the US-Japan alliance and build strong personal ties between Prime Minister Ishiba and President Trump.
Since the start of his second term, US President Donald Trump has turned up the pressure on countries he says are exploiting the United States.
"These countries are stealing our wealth, our jobs, our companies," says President Trump.
President Trump is threatening friendly countries with tariffs and has said Washington should take control of Greenland and make Canada America's 51st state.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's first meeting with President Trump is taking place in precisely this context. This worries many people in Tokyo, says Professor Jeffrey J. Hall.
"The Japanese media and residents are hoping that Prime Minister Ishiba can emerge from the meeting without falling victim to a new attack from America," says Professor Hall from Kanda University.
During President Trump's first term, US-Japan tensions eased, partly due to the diplomacy of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
This approach may be difficult for Prime Minister Ishiba, who has a very different personality.
"He's an academic. He likes to talk in detail, which might be a good thing in a parliamentary debate or in another setting... but it might have the opposite effect on the kind of conversation that President Trump likes to have," says Professor Hall.
Some in Japan don't believe it's a good idea for Prime Minister Ishiba to meet with President Trump. Instead, they say, it would be better for him to stay off President Trump's radar for as long as possible.
Others say it's better to be proactive, in part to protect against any future strains on the alliance.
"Some people say dating is not a good idea, but you have to take risks if you want to have a better relationship," says Mieko Nakabayashi, a professor at Waseda University and former Japanese lawmaker.
This is the same dynamic that almost every ally of the United States faces, as President Trump again pursues his 'America First' approach to the world./VOA
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