Japan’s Prime Minister Will Seek to Preserve Status Quo at Summit With Trump

While the Japanese Prime Minister prepares for his first meeting with President Trump, he hopes to establish a personal connection with the superpower leader on which his country depends both economically and military. But in the unpredictable Trump white house, even a simple encounter and greeting could be a risky cube.

Summit between Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Japan, Shiger Ishib, who is scheduled for Friday, has been a result of the efforts of efforts in a wide range of Japanese for months: not only diplomats and legislators, but also one of one of the richest investors in the country and the widow’s assassination of the former Prime Minister.

When he arrives at the White House, Mr. Ishiba is most likely to seek the belief that Mr Trump will not target Japan in a trade war or leave the US security guarantees after 1945. At the time his nation faces muscle cinema and nuclear -North Korea.

In exchange, the Japanese Prime Minister is expected to come with concessions that could include promises to buy more American weapons or energy, investment Artificial intelligence based in the US and divide more than the burden of defense into the Asian-Pacific region.

“This summit will be a moment of truth,” said Narushige Michishita, a security professor at the National Graduate Institute for Political Studies in Tokyo. “Does Mr. Trump consider Japan as a necessary partner in Asian-Pacific or are we just another colleague through a negotiating table?”

So far the name of Japan has not appeared when Mr. Trump threatened impose tariffs on many other great American allies and trade partners. The two leaders seemed to start well when Mr. Ishiba called Mr. Trump in November to congratulate him on his choice.

“It was my first time I was talking to him but seemed friendly” Mr. Ishiba told reporters. “I got the impression that he was someone I could speak honestly with.”

However, former diplomats say they will ask the Mercury US President to watch the status quo will be a high order. These are still early days in the administration of the transaction president who is eager to show results to his supporters.

“Ishiba risks,” said Glen Fukushima, an older colleague from the American Progress Center who was an American diplomat. “The more time spends with Trump, the more chances are Trump to handle new requirements.”

Then there is the possibility of what some analysts now call “surprise Gaza”, reference to Summit this week between Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, when the US president blinded the world by the world suggesting the download of Palestinian territory.

On the eve of the Japanese summit, Mr. Ishiba prepared by collecting an informal “Trump strategy” of the Council of the highest officials from all of his own government, who set the possible demands that the president could submit and how Japan should answer, According to Japanese media.

Mr. Ishiba also tried to find out from one of his predecessors, Shinzo Abe, a long prime minister that was shot and killed in 2022 After leaving duties. Mr. Abe used face -to -face meetings Build a relationship with Mr. Trump During the first Trump administration.

One of Mr. Abe’s strategies was to come to gifts. When he became the first world leader to meet with the newly elected Mr. Trump in 2016 in Trump’s Tower, Mr. Abe presented his host a golden golf club. On a summit three years later, Mr. Abe brought a greater gift: promise Buy 105 US F-35 aircraft It’s worth billions of dollars.

On Monday, Mr. Ishiba said he was planning to talk to Mr. Trump about the joint development of artificial intelligence. He made a comment after a meeting with Altman himself from Openi -ai Masayoshi Son, a Japanese technological investor who stood next to Mr. Trump in December 100 billion dollars of investments to create 100,000 jobs In the United States.

Mr. Ishiba is expected to emphasize the great increase in safety consumption, which could lead to the additional purchase of the weapons made by the US. Japan plans to expand the size of his defense budget by 65 percent in five years that ended in 2027.

Still, Mr. Ishib’s efforts to follow the book of Mr. Aba have not always went well. After the re -election of Mr. Trump, Mr. Ishiba tried to meet him, only to reject him on the basis of what the elected president did not immediately meet world leaders.

Japan turned to Mr. Abe’s limbs, Akie Abe, who attended the ceremony of the inauguration of Mr. Trump as a guest of the first lady, Melania Trump. Mr. Trump referred to his personal relationship with the late Lord Abe when he mentioned the upcoming summit with Mr. Ishiba.

“Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was my very close friend,” Mr. Trump told reporters last Friday. “What happened to him was very sad, one of the saddest things that ever happened, but they come to talk to me, so I’m looking forward to it.”

There were concerns that Mr. Ishiba would not be able to repeat the personal chemistry of Mr. Abe with Mr. Trump. While Mr. Abe was a passionate golfer who Played with Mr. Trump At a club in Japan, Mr. Ishiba favors interests such as the construction of plastic models.

Kiuko Notoy and Hisako contribute to reporting.