Japan plans to highlight US investments and defense spending in upcoming summit with US

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. [AFP = Yonhap News]

Ishiba to meet with Trump next month Preparation of various investment futures in the U.S. We're ready for the pressure to raise defense costs. Emphasis on daily contributions such as ship repair. Japan is expected to emphasize its investment in the U.S. and expansion of defense costs to negotiate with the U.S. administration of Donald Trump. It is interpreted as a "customized strategy" to prepare for this, as President Donald Trump, who advocates "America First," is expected to make strict demands on Japan in terms of tariffs and security.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported on the 22nd that Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet plans to emphasize Japan's contribution to the U.S. economy at the U.S.-Japan summit next month, considering President Trump's characteristics that consider diplomacy as a business transaction.

In fact, as of 2023, announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce in July last year, Japan's direct investment in the U.S. was the highest at $783.3 billion, up 2.9% from 2022. Japan ranked No. 1 in investment in the U.S. for five consecutive years from 2019 to 2023. In addition, the number of Japanese companies entering the United States has increased by more than 1,000 over the past decade, according to a tally by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

U.S. President Donald Trump and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019. [Reuters = Yonhap News]

In the case of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who succeeded in establishing a honeymoon relationship during the first Trump administration, he used to prepare a U.S. map at each summit to explain to President Trump in detail how much Japanese companies' investment and employment have increased. In response, Nikkei emphasized Japan's contribution to the U.S. economy and interpreted it as a strategy to facilitate consultations in other areas, such as security, without showing loopholes in economic policy.

Japan will present President Trump with a plan for investment in the U.S. as well as Japan's economic contribution to the U.S. Prime Minister Ishiba appeared on NHK on the 19th and said, "The U.S. manufacturing industry has weakened," regarding the U.S.-Japan summit. We have to say what Japan will do," he said.

Aide to Prime Minister Akihisa Nagashima, a close aide to Prime Minister Ishiba, also said, "The prime minister will propose investment in the U.S. during the meeting with President Trump," adding, "We are preparing for Japan to propose independently by making some packages such as joint R&D, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology."

In terms of security, Japan is reportedly planning to respond to President Trump's demand for an increase in defense costs and U.S. military presence in Japan through a recent defense cost increase. The Japanese government has decided to increase the defense-related budget, which is 1% of gross domestic product (GDP), to 2% in fiscal 2027 by revising three major security documents, including the National Security Strategy in 2022. In addition, the plan is to put forward Japan's contributions in the negotiations, such as joint production of air defense missiles between the U.S. and Japan and repair of U.S. naval ships in Japan.