Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday for the next leg of an Asia tour dominated by rising hopes for an end to the bruising US-China trade war and speculation of a potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Speaking on Air Force One, Trump told reporters he was “hopeful” of securing a deal when he meets China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday.
“I have a lot of respect for President Xi and we are going to I think… come away with a deal,” Trump said en route from Malaysia, where positive comments from US and Chinese negotiators had already buoyed expectations.
The presidential plane, also carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, touched down at Haneda Airport at sunset. Trump then boarded a helicopter for an evening audience with the emperor.
On Tuesday, Trump is expected to meet new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and deliver a speech on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, docked at the US naval base in Yokosuka.
“I hear phenomenal things. (Takaichi) was a great ally and friend of Shinzo Abe, who was my friend,” Trump said, referring to the assassinated former premier. “That really helps Japan and the United States, I think she’s going to be great.”
Markets Watching China Deal
The greatest prize for Trump—and for global markets—remains a trade deal with China. Trump is due to meet Xi on Thursday in South Korea for their first face-to-face talks since the 79-year-old Republican’s return to the White House.
Optimism grew after Trump’s first stop in Malaysia. Ahead of his arrival, Treasury Secretary Bessent and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng held two days of preparatory talks. China’s vice commerce minister, Li Chenggang, announced a “preliminary consensus” had been reached. Bessent later confirmed they had agreed “a framework for President Trump (and) President Xi to decide.”
“It’s going to be great for China, great for us,” Trump told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
Trump’s Asia trip, his first tour of the region since returning to office, kicked off Sunday with other agreements, including rewarding Cambodia and Thailand with trade pacts and signing a separate trade and minerals deal with Malaysia.
Bilateral Tensions
Despite the focus on China, several unresolved trade and defense issues remain between Washington and Tokyo.
Takaichi announced in her first policy speech on Friday that Japan would spend two percent of GDP on defense this fiscal year. However, Washington, which has around 60,000 military personnel in Japan, wants Tokyo to spend more, potentially matching the five percent of GDP pledged by NATO members in June.
On trade, most Japanese imports into the US are subject to 15 percent tariffs. Trump is also pressing Japan to import more American products, including rice, soybeans, and “hot” Ford F-150 pickup trucks. Questions also surround Japan’s commitment to invest $550 billion in the United States, as specified in their July trade deal.
“What I expect is that, since he (Trump) is someone who acts decisively, things might move in a positive direction for Japan,” said Tokyo resident Sayaka Kamimoto, 45.
Potential Kim Meeting?
Trump is scheduled to be in the South Korean port city of Busan on Wednesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he will meet President Lee Jae Myung.
While on the Korean peninsula, Trump has fueled speculation that he could meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. The two leaders last met in 2019 at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).
“I would love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me,” Trump said on Air Force One.
Asked if he would extend his trip to enable such a meeting, he replied: “Well, I hadn’t thought of it, but I think the answer would be yeah, I would, I would do that, sure.”
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