Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru travelled to Washington, D.C., for a "hectic” but otherwise frictionless one-day stay last week, in a visit with U.S. President Donald Trump that reaffirmed the two allies’ robust defence, trade, and investment ties.
Tokyo and Washington released a joint statement following the meeting, asserting that the U.S.-Japan alliance is “the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.” The U.S. also underlined its “unwavering commitment” to the defence of Japan, vowing to use its full range of capabilities, including nuclear — a pledge sought by Japan’s foreign minister in January.
Ishiba agreed to boost Japanese investment in the U.S. from roughly US$800 billion to a staggering US$1 trillion. Japan has been the top provider of foreign direct investment in the U.S. since 2021.
Trump said Japan also agreed to hike imports of American liquefied natural gas to “record numbers,” adding that the U.S. “will be conducting trade with all countries based on... fairness and reciprocity.” An estimated 10 per cent of Japan’s LNG came from the U.S. in 2024, according to Bloomberg.
Ishiba scored a win on a sensitive issue for Japan: the joint missive hailed Japan’s “longstanding and peaceful administration of the Senkaku Islands,” likely in a bid to dissuade Beijing from dispatching its coast guard around the islands, which it also claims.
The two leaders also encouraged the “peaceful resolution” of cross-strait issues and opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo “by force or coercion.” Taipei welcomed the statement, especially the reference to “coercion,” which could mean economic coercion by Beijing.
Ishiba gifted Trump a golden samurai helmet, and Trump accepted Ishiba's invitation to visit Japan in “the near future.”
Hegseth’s Asia focus
Seoul welcomed a call by Trump and Ishiba for the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea. Trump also voiced an “openness” to engaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. An American official noted in a press briefing that Washington “will remain in lockstep ... with both Japan and South Korea,” should discussions materialize.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Australia’s deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a discussion dominated by AUKUS, the trilateral security pact between Canberra, London, and Washington.
In advance of the meeting, Australia issued its first payment of US$500 million — toward a total commitment of US$3 billion — as part of a deal to strengthen the U.S.'s submarine industry (and procure three nuclear-powered submarines from Washington). Hegseth noted Trump is “very familiar with [AUKUS] and equally supportive of it.”
Since being confirmed on January 25, Hegseth has held calls with counterparts from Australia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the U.K. Hegseth’s Asia-heavy rolodex suggests the Trump administration will make the Indo-Pacific a top foreign-policy priority.
Tariff tensions leave Canada out in the cold
Canadian defence minister Bill Blair — in Washington from February 4–6 — had no such luck in meeting his American counterpart. Blair, alongside industry minister François-Philippe Champagne, met with business leaders and members of Congress to discuss shared Canada-U.S. defence objectives. Blair’s trip came as tensions peaked over Trump’s threatened tariffs against Canada.
Ottawa has so far been shut out of AUKUS, although the Royal Canadian Navy has continued its Indo-Pacific engagement. Last week, HMCS Ottawa arrived in Manila as part of Operation Horizon, a deployment meant to promote “peace, stability, and the rules-based international order.”
While onboard HMCS Ottawa, Canada’s ambassador to the Philippines, David Hartman, announced that the two countries are finalizing a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA). The agreement would allow Canada “more substantive participation in joint and multilateral training exercises and operations” with the Philippines and regional allies, according to Hartman. Manila has in-force SOVFAs with only Australia and the U.S.
