US President Donald Trump has promised sweeping support for Japan and its new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, amid the intensifying rivalry with China in the Indo-Pacific.
Trump hailed Japan as “an ally at the strongest level” during his visit to Tokyo on Tuesday, noting that the longtime US ally was set to purchase “a large amount of new military equipment” and expressing confidence that bilateral ties would become “stronger than ever before.”
“I want to just let you know – any time you have any question, any doubt, anything you want, any favors you need, anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there,” Trump said.
Takaichi, a hardline conservative who assumed office last week, thanked Trump for mediating a dispute between Thailand and Cambodia and for his “unwavering commitment to peace and stability” in the region.
The leaders also signed a cooperation agreement on rare-earth and critical minerals, as well as a pledge to work toward a “new golden age” of the US-Japan alliance. Trump signed a similar deal with Australia earlier this month, aimed at countering China’s dominance in the rare-earth market.
Japan has hosted American troops since the end of World War II and remains one of the largest buyers of US weapons. In recent years, Tokyo has increased its defense budget and begun arming its navy with long-range cruise missiles.
The US, Japan, and South Korea regularly conduct joint naval drills, drawing condemnation from China and North Korea, who view such maneuvers as provocative.
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