Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U. S. President Donald Trump agreed during a telephone conversation Saturday to hold face-to-face talks on Feb. 10 and affirmed the importance of bilateral ties, the Japanese and U. S. governments said.
The leaders \u201caffirmed in our phone conversation the importance of the Japan-U. S. alliance in economic and security challenges,\u201d Abe told reporters after the call.
And Trump \u201caffirmed the ironclad U. S. commitment to ensuring the security of Japan,\u201d the White House press office said.
The talks on Feb. 10 in Washington will be the first meeting between the Japanese and American leaders since Trump took office. The two held unofficial talks in New York last November shortly after Trump\u2019s U. S. presidential election victory.
\u201cI want us to have a frank exchange of views on the economy and security in our meeting,\u201d Abe told reporters after speaking with Trump on Saturday for 42 minutes.
A Japanese government official quoted Abe as telling Trump that he \u201chopes the United States will become a greater country through (your) leadership,\u201d adding Japan wants to \u201cfulfill our role as your ally.\u201d
Trump told Abe the United States considers Japan an extremely important partner, and feels the alliance between the countries is of high importance, the official said.
The two leaders also committed to deepening the bilateral trade and investment relationship, according to the White House.
During the call, Abe explained to Trump the contributions of Japanese automakers to the U. S. economy, the official said without elaborating, while another government source said Trump asked Abe to urge Japanese companies to create more jobs in the United States.
Since his inauguration, Trump has accused Japan of conducting trade practices in the automobile sector that are \u201cnot fair\u201d to U. S. companies. Trump administration threats to impose a 20 percent tariff on various products made in Mexico and shipped to the United States could also adversely affect Japanese automobile and auto parts makers with plants there.
After Trump criticized Toyota Motor Corp. this month for building a second vehicle assembly plant in Mexico, Japan\u2019s biggest automaker quickly announced it would invest $10 billion in its U. S. operations over the next five years.
Trump and Abe did not specifically discuss the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, from which Trump withdrew the United States through an executive order this past week, according to a Japanese official.
Trump has said he favors bilateral deals over the TPP, which he called a \u201cdisaster\u201d for the United States, while Abe has hailed both the TPP\u2019s promised economic benefits and strategic importance in setting a fair standard for regional trade. China is not a signatory to the TPP.
The leaders also did not specifically discuss the possibility of negotiating a bilateral trade deal, the official said.
Abe indicated in the Diet last week that Japan could pursue a free trade agreement or economic partnership agreement with the United States while still promoting the TPP.
While noting that Abe and Trump have \u201cdifferent approaches\u201d on trade, the Japanese official said the two leaders will have a frank discussion about trade when they meet next month.
The leaders also discussed matters related to the security situation in East Asia, as well as U. S. Defense Secretary James Mattis\u2019 trip to Japan, the Japanese official said. Mattis will visit Japan on Feb. 3 and 4 for talks with Defense Minister Tomomi Inada following a stop in South Korea.
The White House quoted the leaders as saying they will \u201cconsult and cooperate\u201d on the threat posed by North Korea.<\/p>\n