A meeting between Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba went so well that Japan has pledged to invest a staggering amount of money into the U.S.Ishiba visited Washington D.C. and met with the new POTUS yesterday (February 7), where the two leaders are said to have engaged in discussions lasting almost two hours during their first-ever face-to-face meeting.Trump and Ishiba covered a wide range of topics, from military and security to economics and regional affairs.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited the White House yesterday
The president was said to have been close with the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but has yet to establish a relationship with Ishiba, who took office in October 2024.In the lengthy meeting, Ishiba pledged to invest a staggering $1,000,000,000,000 into the U.S.Meeting notes published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan state: “The two leaders affirmed that Japan and the U.S. are close partners in the economic field as well, with Japan being the world’s largest investor in the U.S. for five consecutive years.”Prime Minister Ishiba conveyed his willingness to cooperate in elevating Japan’s investment in the U.S. to an unprecedented amount of one trillion dollars, and President Trump strongly welcomed such investments by Japanese companies.”
Japan has pledged to invest $1 trillion into the US
As for what the money will be used for, Trump said: “Japan is committed to doubling its defense spending by 2027 compared to my first term.”They’ve invested a lot of money, $300 billion in goods and services each year. And I’m pleased to say that this week, my administration approved nearly a billion dollars in foreign military sales to Tokyo.”He also mentioned that Japanese car manufacturer Nissan is “going to be doing something very exciting with U.S. Steel” – a company Japan had wanted to acquire for $14.9 billion.Instead, Japan will “invest heavily” in the company, according to BBC News, without taking a majority stake.
Trump is trying to create a strong relationship with Japan
While Trump strengthens his relationship with Japan, his rapport with China is somewhat strained following the new tariffs he has imposed on the country’s goods.The tariff has been set at 10 percent, which came into effect on February 4.In response to the change, China plans to impose similar tariffs on U.S. goods entering the country.A statement from China read: “Because Google is suspected of violating the Anti-Monopoly Law of the People’s Republic of China, the State Administration for Market Regulation has initiated an investigation into Google in accordance with the law.”
