Prime Minister Shiger Ishiba arrived at the White House for a meeting with Donald Trump, where Japan’s leader hopes to declare a new golden age for relations, but is familiar with expecting an unpredictable US president.
Ishiba is the first Asian leader to hold a face -to -face meeting with Trump, who will include festive conversations and lunch, from the inauguration of the President last month.
For JapanThe goal is to emphasize the rock-solid nature of relations and get clear beliefs about the common military association of countries, while trying to establish a personal connection between Trump obsessed with golf and enthusiast for the Ischiba train model.
While Trump welcomed at the White House on Friday morning, he said, “We love Japan.”
On the eve of the meeting, a senior American official emphasized the strength of the American Alliance with Japan. But he added that Trump is likely to talk about “economic righteousness” with Ischibi in the context of American trade deficit with Japan. Two leaders are expected to talk about issues related to Japanese consumption from defense.
Officers in Tokyo included in the Prime Minister’s briefing warned that IshibaWhich political analysts describe as neither a natural diplomat nor an agile reporter, was relatively inexperienced at such meetings, increasing the risk of any misunderstanding or misunderstanding with Trump could harm the most important alliance of Japan.
There is also no guarantee that idiosyncratic isch will follow the leadership of the Japanese diplomatic institution on how to deal with Trump, said Stephen Nagy, an associate at the Japanese Institute for International Affairs. “He could prove as many wild cards as possible as Trump.”
Political analysts said to be Tobiba, which manages Japan through a fragile coalition And whose assessments of the cabinet approval slid, they must draw a narrow stream. His domestic audience will require that an unwavering defender of an international order based on the rules will appear, at a time when the friendships and historical obligations of Washington appeared vulnerable.
Ishiba will also not be able to avoid comparisons with the late Shinz Abe, a Japanese charismatic former former prime minister, who is over 14 meetings, five golf circles and a gift of gold trail forcing a a A strong personal relationship with Trump. Ishiba will travel with the same interpreter that Abe followed at previous meetings with Trump.
Apart from the danger of not measuring Abe, political analysts have questioned the wisdom of maintenance of summers. While Tokyo attaches the prestige to be in line to meet Trump early, there may be an advantage in that he does not attract the attention of his administration, which aimed at close allies and trade partners, including Canada and Mexico.
“The US has a large trade deficit with Japan, and Jen is still close to the historic low in dollar. There is an argument that the best thing that can currently do for his country to stay outside Washington’s radar as long as possible,” said one diplomat with headquarters in Tokyo near the preparations for the reference.
The meeting is expected to cover some areas where Ishiba can expect relatively low friction. The Prime Minister is likely to be obliged to increase the imports of American -liquefied natural gas and emphasize a large flow of Japanese direct investment, as well as cooperation on artificial intelligence and other areas of sensitive technology.
If you press about military consumption, analysts said, Ishiba may promise that the future increases will be highlighted efforts that Tokyo has already invested to strengthen his self -defense.
But there were several unpleasant areas where Trump could have directed the scenario negotiations, diplomats said, such as an invitation to Ishib to further distances from Japan from China or to encourage him to take a more severe stand on his “Asian NATO” proposal.
The meeting comes after Nippon Steel took over $ 15 billion in US Steela, whom former US President Joe Biden and Trump opposed during the presidential campaign, but both companies supported themselves. Biden has attributed his decision to the concerns of national security, but the move ranked in Tokyo, throwing Japan as a foreign competitor, not as a friendly savior of the decaying American industrial giant and Nippon hopes Trump could revive Agreement.
Preparations in Tokyo included the days of anxiety brainstorming potential diplomatic crises or Mercury requirements, officials said. Hundreds of hypothetical conversations are coated, according to one.
Trump’s suggestions that Greenland could have been deprived of now, and the Panaman channel meant that “almost everything” could appear on the US-Japan summit, Japanese officials said. The US President Summit this week with Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, and a shocked proposal to take control of Gaza, sent Japanese officials who were about to prepare the prime minister for the unexpected.
But analysts pointed out that the Ishiba people shared certain characteristics with Trump that could help the two to find a common basis. They are both popular with the general public and have built their political paintings as outsiders.
“You can imagine situations on this summit that could require grace, patience and sangfroid. The question is whether Ibiba can do it,” said Tobias Harris, founder of the predisious pre -element of Japan’s political risks.
Harris added that, in addition to avoiding a diplomatic disaster, the risk of Ishiba was returning from Washington with a bigger problem than he left.
“The management of the Alliance does not look like something an American administration is interested in time and energy on now,” Harris said. “Whatever the persuasion is given, it can be in the short term.
