Japan and the US are essential defence allies and each other's top foreign investors

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday left for the United States ahead of what will be President Donald Trump's second summit with a foreign leader since his go back to the White House.

Japan is one of the closest allies of the United States in Asia with around 54,000 US military workers stationed in the country.

Ishiba will be pushing for peace of mind on the value of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump's "America First" program risks intruding on the countries' trade and defence ties.

"It would be terrific if we might affirm that we will work together for the advancement this region and the world and for peace," Ishiba informed press reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the journey.

Japan's Nikkei newspaper said Thursday the pair will release a joint declaration, which could vow to construct a "golden era" of bilateral relations and bring the alliance to "new heights".

Ishiba is anticipated to tell Trump that Japan will increase defence buy from the United States, the Nikkei said.

Ishiba may likewise propose importing more US gas-- chiming with Trump's plan to "drill, infant, drill" while increasing energy security for resource-poor wiki.snooze-hotelsoftware.de Japan.

Since Japan has cut its liquefied gas (LNG) imports from Russia, dokuwiki.stream it "desperately requires to open brand-new sources of LNG, and other energy more broadly", Sheila Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, informed AFP.

"The objective is to provide a win-win worth proposal from Ishiba to the president," she said.

Trump will satisfy Ishiba in Washington on Friday-- simply days after a joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the US president triggered outcry with a proposition to take control of the Gaza Strip.

The Japan top could be less shocking, Smith said, as Trump "has a fairly strong commitment to the alliances in Asia".

- Taiwan risk -

Ishiba has actually worried the value of US defence ties, pointing to risks on Japan's doorstep such as China pushing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Tokyo must "continue to secure the US dedication to the area, to avoid a power vacuum causing local instability", Ishiba just recently told parliament.

Trump and yogicentral.science Ishiba are expected to affirm the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese media said.

That would echo joint declarations made by the last US president Joe Biden with previous Japanese prime ministers.

Focusing on this point is "incredibly important" since Japan and the United States should collaborate to prevent a prospective crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, a global relations professional at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.

As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the burden of defence costs, however, there are concerns Trump could offer less money and push Japan to do more, Smith said.

"That's where ... the Ishiba-Trump relationship might get a bit sticky," she said.

- After Abe -

Also triggering jitters is Trump's determination to slap trade tariffs on significant trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico-- though he has actually postponed steps against the latter two nations pending talks.

"I hope Ishiba will reveal him there are other ways to attain economic security," such as working together on technology, Shiraishi informed AFP.

One example is the Stargate drive, revealed after Trump's January inauguration, to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States, opensourcebridge.science led by Japanese tech investment behemoth SoftBank Group and US firm OpenAI.

Reports said the leaders could also talk about Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion quote to buy US Steel, which Biden blocked on national security grounds.

Japan and the United States are each other's top foreign financiers, and the Nikkei reported that the leaders will settle on producing an investment-friendly environment.

During his very first term, Trump and Japan's then-prime minister Shinzo Abe enjoyed warm relations.

As president-elect in December, Trump likewise hosted Akie Abe, the widow of Japan's assassinated ex-premier, for a dinner with Melania Trump at their .

Trump constructed a strong relationship with Abe, scientific-programs.science for whom Smith believes he had a "authentic fondness".

He will likely "see Ishiba through a various lens", said Smith, and "it will be more the state-to-state relationship, not the individual".

Ishiba, 68, will not be the first Japanese VIP to meet the 78-year-old Trump in person since he took workplace-- a difference held by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son.