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U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, continuing his Asia tour amid mounting optimism that his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping could finally end the years-long U.S.–China trade standoff.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Malaysia, Trump expressed confidence that a deal was within reach, adding that he might extend his trip to include a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“I have a lot of respect for President Xi, and I believe we’ll come away with a deal,” Trump said, referring to renewed trade discussions between American and Chinese negotiators in Kuala Lumpur that have raised hopes of a breakthrough.
The president’s aircraft, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, touched down at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport at sunset.
Trump, wearing a bright gold tie, later boarded a helicopter to central Tokyo for an evening audience with the Japanese emperor.
On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to meet Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, and deliver remarks aboard the USS George Washington, an American aircraft carrier stationed at Yokosuka Naval Base.
“I hear great things about Prime Minister Takaichi,” Trump said. “She was a loyal ally of my friend Shinzo Abe, and that’s a very good thing for both our countries.”
Trump’s Asia visit, his first since returning to office, began in Malaysia on Sunday, where he co-signed a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia and announced new trade and minerals partnerships with Malaysia.
He also took steps to repair strained relations with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, signaling a broader diplomatic push.
But the most closely watched stop on the tour remains Thursday’s meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea, the two leaders’ first in-person encounter since Trump’s return to the White House.
Ahead of that meeting, Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held two days of high-level discussions.
China’s Vice Commerce Minister, Li Chenggang, later confirmed that a “preliminary consensus” had been reached, setting the stage for a potential agreement.
“It’s going to be great for China and great for us,” Trump told reporters, stating what he called “a framework for final approval” between the two presidents.
Japan’s defence spending and trade commitments are also expected to feature prominently in talks.
Prime Minister Takaichi recently announced that Tokyo will allocate two percent of its GDP to defence this fiscal year, a record level, though still below the five percent target pledged by NATO members in June.
The U.S., which maintains roughly 60,000 troops in Japan, has been urging Tokyo to boost its defence outlays further and expand imports of American goods, particularly agricultural products and U.S.-made vehicles such as Ford’s F-150 pickup trucks.
Meanwhile, questions persist about Japan’s $550 billion investment pledge in the U.S. economy under the countries’ July trade agreement.
Tokyo resident Sayaka Kamimoto, 45, said she hoped Trump’s visit would produce tangible results. “He’s a man of action,” she said. “I think things could move positively for Japan.”
Trump is expected to travel to South Korea’s port city of Busan on Wednesday for meetings with President Lee Jae Myung and to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
He also hinted at the possibility of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while on the Korean peninsula, their first potential encounter since their brief 2019 meeting at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
“I’d love to meet him again if he’s willing,” Trump said. “We had great chemistry, I liked him, and he liked me.”
Asked whether he would extend his trip to make it happen, Trump replied with a grin, “I hadn’t planned on it, but yes, I absolutely would.”
Trump lands in Japan as expectations grow for breakthrough in China trade talks
