President Donald Trump said Tuesday in Japan the delivery of the first batch of missiles for the East Asian country’s F-35 fighter jets was ahead of schedule.
The president made the announcement while speaking to U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington at the Yokosuka Naval Base, Fox News reported.
“I’m delighted to report that I’ve just approved the first batch of missiles, you saw a couple of them coming down with me. I hugged them, we need them. They’re the best in the world, nobody has them like we have them. They all want our missiles, that’s the problem. Everybody wants them. But it’s the first batch of missiles to be delivered to the Japanese Self Defense Forces for Japan’s F-35s. And they’re coming this week. They’re ahead of schedule. So, I just want to tell Madam Prime Minister. They’ve been waiting for those missiles, and we got them here right away as soon as I heard about it,” Trump said:
Prior to visiting Japan, the president stopped in Malaysia and he is also expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the next few days.
The Fox article continued:
Washington has approved several large arms sales to Japan, including advanced AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles designed for F-35s.
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Trump’s appearance underscored Washington’s deepening security cooperation with Tokyo as regional tensions with China and North Korea persist. Ahead of his Asia trip this week, Trump has made repeated invitations to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though no concrete preparations are underway.
Trump met with the new Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae on Monday in Tokyo; according to Breitbart News, she was elected as the nation’s first female prime minister last week after having served in Shinzo Abe’s administration.
Abe was a close friend and ally to President Trump during his first term in the White House.
During their meeting, Sanae praised Trump’s diplomatic record and his recent achievements, Breitbart News reported.
“As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Abe [Shinzo] often told me about your dynamic diplomacy. Most recently, Mr. President, succeeded in securing a ceasefire deal between Thailand and Cambodia, and contributed to ensuring peace in Asia. Also, the deal you have recently achieved in the Middle East is an unprecedented, historic achievement,” she stated.
President Trump told Sanae he has “always had a great love of Japan” and a “great respect” for the nation.
He added, “I will say that this will be a relationship that will be stronger than ever before, and I look forward to working with you. On behalf of our country, I want to just let you know, anytime you have any question, any doubt, anything you want, any favors you need, anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there. We are an ally at the strongest level.”
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