According to the Japanese newspaper, during the talks, the two sides signed two important agreements. On the afternoon of the 28th, Trump delivered a speech at the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "George Washington" at the U.S. Army's Yokohama base in Japan, saying that Yokohama has become his "intensive friend", stressing that the Japanese alliance is "the cornerstone of peace and security in the Pacific region".
American rice and steak for lunch
On the morning of the 28th, Trump and Sakaimi Takashi held talks at the Akasaka Rikaku Palace, a guesthouse near the Imperial Residence of Tokyo. The talks lasted about 40 minutes. The two sides confirmed that they would deepen cooperation in the security and economic fields, strengthen the Japan-US alliance, and signed two agreements after the talks.
The Associated Press said that the first agreement reiterated the previous Japan-US tariff agreement framework, which stated that all Japanese exports to the United States would be subject to a 15% tariff, and Japan would establish an investment fund in the United States. The second agreement sets out a framework for the United States and Japan to ensure the supply of key minerals and rare earths, including using some of the funds for rare earth mining. Reuters said that most of Japan's rare earth mineral resources are located on the seabed and are extremely difficult to mine.
According to the New York Times, the two agreements were "fuzzy" and avoided the core question of the dispute between the two countries - how Japan plans to fulfill its $50 billion investment commitment to the United States - despite the good diplomatic gesture of the U.S. leaders in the first meeting, Japan still needs to address the challenge of how to balance the domestic economic burden and commitments to the United States.
According to reports, Takashi said during the talks that he would recommend Trump to compete for the Nobel Peace Prize and put forward the vision of "building a golden era of the Japan-US alliance." Trump spoke highly of Takashi, saying that he "will become one of the greatest prime ministers." Trump also said that the United States has received a large number of orders for new military equipment from Japan, and Japan will significantly increase its military strength. Trump expressed gratitude to Japan for purchasing defense equipment from the United States and called the Japan-US tariff agreement "very fair."
The Associated Press said that Trump had said that his visit to Japan was only to demonstrate the "deep friendship between Japan and the United States" and that goal seemed to be achieved on the 28th. Takashi and Trump not only watched clips of American baseball games together before the talks, but also talked enthusiastically during lunch together. At lunch, Takashi showed Trump a map of Japan's major investment projects in the United States. Reuters mentioned that because Trump has repeatedly called on Japan to buy more American rice, lunch that day included rice and steaks produced in the United States.
Japanese media: US and Japanese leaders took special planes and boarded aircraft carriers together
The Yomiuri Shimbun said that on the afternoon of the 28th, accompanied by Takashi, Trump arrived at the Yokosuka base of the US military in Japan in a US presidential helicopter.
A number of Japanese media reported with the title "Japanese and American leaders shared a special plane and boarded the US aircraft carrier" that in the face of the US troops stationed in Japan and members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, Trump and Takaichi delivered speeches on the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "George Washington" respectively, "highlighting the unity of the Japan-US alliance".
According to AP, Trump's speech covered a wide range of topics, including the various forces on the aircraft carrier, its political rivals, national security and the U.S. economy. Trump told U.S. troops in Japan: "The US-Japanese alliance is the best relationship in the world, is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Pacific region."
In his speech, Takashi said that the "security environment of Japan and the United States is facing unprecedented severe tests" and promised that "Japan will fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities and more actively contribute to regional peace and stability." In his policy speech on the 24th of this month, Takashi promised that Japan plans to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP by March next year.
The Japanese public opinion has criticized and questioned Gao's defence statement. Japan's Communist Party Secretary General, Xiao Pei Shik, said: "The (high-market) actions send very dangerous signals. Compared to the previous prime ministers, this is deeply disturbing, and I am afraid it will lead Japan in a very dangerous direction."
Hope to leverage Abe's "diplomatic legacy"
According to the Associated Press, Trump returned to Tokyo on the evening of the 28th to have a dinner with business people, and he plans to end his visit to Japan on the 29th and set off to South Korea. The Japanese media said that high-market can establish a relationship of trust with Trump is concerned, in the two talks, the former prime minister Abe's "sense of presence" is very strong.
On the morning of the 28th, High Market donated to Trump a basketball bag signed by Japanese professional golf player Matsushima Ying-tzu, and a pushpole used by Abe.She also promised to send 250 cherry trees and fireworks to the United States next year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Japan’s Fuji News Network said the meeting with the Japanese government would be the biggest goal of “deepening the relationship of trust between heads” and high-ranking officials in the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office “wrote 120 points” on the results of the talks.
Takashi Kobayashi, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's government investigation, commented on the 28th that Takashi's performance in the talks was "almost perfect." Representatives of the Reform Council and the National Democratic Party also expressed their recognition of Gao Shi. However, Cadet Representative Yoshihiko Noda expressed the hope that Congress would thoroughly review the discussion on defense spending and whether such diplomatic activities had become excessive "flattery diplomacy."
According to analysis by European and American media, Gaoshi Zaomiao still faces many challenges on the tariff issue. Tokuko Shikuita, head of the Japan division of the Asian Group, a US consulting firm, said that Takashi Hayami is facing domestic pressure on US-Japan tariffs and investment issues, which shows that she needs to balance domestic expectations and avoid being seen as a "yes-man" for the US government.