Coming up today – Trump meets Japan’s Takaichi to deepen defence, trade cooperation | investingLive

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Tuesday, marking their first face-to-face talks since her election earlier this month.

info via Reuters, my summary.

According to a source familiar with the plans, the two countries are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on shipbuilding investment as part of a broader effort to deepen economic and security cooperation.

Takaichi is expected to reassure Trump that Japan will accelerate its defence expansion. Japan hosts the biggest concentration of U.S. military forces abroad, but Trump has repeatedly argued that Tokyo should spend more to defend itself against China’s growing military presence.

While Takaichi has pledged to raise defence spending to 2% of GDP, political constraints at home may limit her ability to go beyond that target. Her ruling coalition lacks a parliamentary majority, making it difficult to deliver the larger commitments Trump is reportedly seeking.

Trump will travel to South Korea on Wednesday for talks with President Lee Jae Myung, followed by a meeting with China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday.

—

The Tokyo meeting underscores strengthening U.S.–Japan security ties but could heighten tensions with China ahead of Trump’s expected meeting with Xi. Defence and shipbuilding sectors may see renewed investor focus amid regional rearmament themes and industrial policy alignment.