Trump-Takaichi deal: new Toyota plants in the US for $10 billion

In Tokyo, in addition to security and defence issues - with Takaichi confirming the increase in military spending to 2% of GDP already this year - Trump discussed with business leaders before departing for South Korea where he will see his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday for the first time since his return to the White House.

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi signed the implementation of a golden age alliance agreement between their countries. Shown after the signing, the document was less than a page long.

Trump and Takaichi then signed a second agreement, establishing a framework between the US and Japan to guarantee the supply of critical minerals and rare earths.

Takaichi added to Trump that his country would donate another 250 cherry trees to Washington next year, in honour of the nation's 250th anniversary, as well as fireworks from Akita Prefecture for the Fourth of July celebrations 2026.

According to Japanese media, other agreements between the two countries include cooperation in thedevelopment of liquefied natural gas in Alaska and the cessation of Russian LNG imports, as well as Japanese soybean imports.

"I wanted to be with you to tell you how great our country is and how well we are doing: we are the most respected country in the world, we are the strongest country in the world," US President Donald Trump said this while speaking to US troops aboard the USS George Washington ship at the Yokosuka Naval Base in central Japan.

Trump arrived at the military base with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders were greeted by a welcoming ceremony on the deck of the ship. The military wore different coloured T-shirts indicating their roles on the ship: yellow for troops managing aircraft movements, green for troops attaching aircraft to catapults, and purple for troops resupplying aircraft.

The United States has approvedthe first tranche of the supply of missiles destined for the Japanese Air Force's F-35s: this was announced by President Donald Trump on a visit to Tokyo. Earlier Trump had made it known that the Japanese government had submitted a major supply request for US military equipment.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Japanese automaker Toyota intends to invest in the U.S. "The prime minister just told me thatToyota will open car plants across the United States worth more than $10 billion."

The US president and the Japanese premier were served lunch during today's meeting in Tokyo, consisting of American beef and rice. Serving American rice could be seen as a gesture to ingratiate himself with Trump, who has long urged Japan to buy more rice from the US.

He even threatened higher tariffs on Japanese exports, accusing the country of refusing to buy US-grown rice.