Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers his policy speech at the extraordinary session of parliament's lower house Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Tokyo. (Photo: VCG)
Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru began his trip to the US on Thursday afternoon to hold his first summit with President Donald Trump, Japanese media NHK reported on Thursday.
At their meeting on Friday, the Japanese leader wants to exchange views candidly with Trump on a wide range of fields and build a personal relationship of trust, according to NHK.
Ishiba and Trump will issue a joint statement after their summit Friday laying out "shared views on the economy, security and China," Nikkei reported on Thursday.
The Japanese media also said the security component will discuss strengthening the alliance's deterrence and response capabilities "amid a challenging East Asian environment."
On China, Ishiba and Trump will express opposition to unilateral efforts to change the status quo in the East and South China seas, according to Nikkei.
The Chinese side has repeatedly refuted such hype and smearing. China's position on Taiwan, Diaoyu Dao and maritime issues is consistent and clear-cut. China firmly opposes attempts by the US and Japan to hype up relevant issues to damage China's reputation and interfere in China's internal affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry said previously.
Ishiba's first meeting with Trump aims to build rapport with him and assess the new Trump administration's stance toward Japan, and to gauge the administration's core views on the Japan-US alliance, Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"The goal of this visit is to maintain existing diplomatic achievements rather than to seek new achievements," Xiang said.
Ishiba earlier hinted his willingness to visit China as early as possible, Kyodo News reported on January 31.
Ishiba also pledged to enhance communication with China and comprehensively advance the strategic relationship of mutual benefit between the two countries, the Xinhua News Agency reported on January 28.
During a plenary session of the House of Councilors, Ishiba emphasized the importance of strengthening communication with China across a wide range of fields, reducing challenges and increasing collaboration.
Japan will likely urge the US to uphold its security commitments. Ensuring these security commitments remains a key priority for Japan in its discussions with Washington, Xiang noted.
When it comes to handling issues related to defense and economy, a trend has emerged of shifting responsibilities and costs in the US-Japan alliance, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
This shift is largely influenced by Trump's emphasis that US allies should contribute to the revival of American manufacturing and US should reduce defense expenditures and responsibilities, Li noted.
Consequently, the overall security and economic alliance between the US and Japan is likely to maintain its fundamental framework of cooperation while evolving significantly under Trump's leadership, with Japan expected to take on a more substantial role in the alliance, Li said.
This evolution does not change the fundamental asymmetry of the US-Japan alliance, the expert explained. "Historically, the US has shouldered a greater share of resources and responsibilities in safeguarding Japan's security. During the Trump era, this dynamic could shift toward Japan contributing more economically and taking on greater responsibilities, reducing the US's financial and strategic burden while aligning with Washington's policy objectives. This trend is likely to become more pronounced in the coming years," Li said.
