The US president praised Japan’s first female prime minister as leaders signed an agreement to supply rare earth minerals.
US President Donald Trump met Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, in Tokyo and welcomed her pledge to accelerate military buildup and sign agreements on trade and critical minerals.
Trump praised Takaichi on Tuesday, saying he would be a “great” leader, while the prime minister said he intended to nominate the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Takaichi, a close ally of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was Trump’s friend and golfing partner, also plans to offer an investment package to the United States under a $550 billion deal reached this year, Reuters reported.
In addition to shipbuilding, this includes increased purchases of U.S. soybeans, natural gas and pickup trucks, the agency reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.
Such a stance could soften Trump’s calls for Tokyo to increase spending to protect the island from an increasingly assertive China, which Takaichi sought to thwart last week by pledging to fast-track a plan to increase defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product.
“It’s a very strong handshake,” Trump said as the two posed for a photo at the Akasaka Imperial Villa in downtown Tokyo.
“From what I’ve heard from Mr. Shinzo and others, you’re going to be one of the great prime ministers. And I want to congratulate you on becoming the first female prime minister. This is a big deal,” President Trump said during his meeting with Takaichi.
According to a photo posted to X by Trump’s assistant Margo Martin, Takaichi gave Abe’s putter, a golf bag autographed by Japanese major champion Hideki Matsuyama, and a golf ball stamped with gold foil.
The last time a US president visited the palace, a luxurious European-style mansion, was in 2019 for a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.
Trade in important minerals
Trump also praised Japan’s efforts to increase purchases of U.S. defense equipment, and Takaichi said Trump’s role in securing ceasefires between Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Palestinian militants was an “unprecedented” accomplishment.
“In such a short period of time, the world has begun to enjoy more peace,” Takaichi told reporters through an interpreter.
Takaichi added, “I myself am very impressed and inspired by the president.”
Leaders then signed deals to help supply critical minerals and rare earths as countries seek to wean themselves from China’s stranglehold on materials vital to products ranging from smartphones to fighter jets.
The White House said in a statement that the agreement’s purpose is to “help both countries achieve resiliency and security in their critical mineral and rare earth supply chains.”
It added that the U.S. and Japan will “jointly identify interesting projects to address gaps in the supply chain of critical minerals and rare earths, including derivative products such as permanent magnets, batteries, catalysts, and optical materials.”
President Trump and Takaichi will then visit the Yokosuka US Naval Base near Tokyo, where the aircraft carrier USS George Washington is based, part of a strong US military presence in the region.
Trump will then meet with business leaders in Tokyo before heading to South Korea on Wednesday. President Trump said in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he hopes to achieve a ceasefire in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
