Takaichi Arrives in U.S. for Talks with Trump

Washington, March 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in the United States on Wednesday night, ahead of her meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump the following day. The prime minister flew to the U.S. Air Force’s Joint Base Andrews near Washington on a Japanese government plane, kicking off her first U.S. trip since taking office last October. At their summit to be held at the White House on Thursday, the two leaders are expected to agree on Japan’s infrastructure cooperation, including power plant construction, as part of Tokyo’s investment and loan pledge worth up to 550 billion dollars to the United States under their tariff agreement. In February, the Japanese and U.S. governments announced the first round of investment programs totaling 36 billion dollars–the construction of a thermal power plant and a deep-sea crude oil export facility, and the production of synthetic diamonds. For the bilateral summit, the two governments are set to announce the second round worth about 10 trillion yen, including the construction of next-generation nuclear power reactors and a natural gas-fired power plant. Elsewhere during the summit, Takaichi and Trump are expected to agree on expanding their nations’ cooperation in the economic security field, such as beefing up rare earth supply chains. The Japanese leader is likely to bring up rare earth development being promoted by her government off Minamitorishima, a remote Tokyo island in the Pacific. Takaichi will be the first leader of a Group of Seven major nation to hold in-person talks with Trump since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran late last month. Another focal issue at their summit will likely be the Middle East situation, such as ensuring safe ship navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil chokepoint, which has been effectively closed amid the U.S.-Israeli strikes and Iran’s counterattacks. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]