President Donald Trump landed at Haneda Airport on Monday evening, the second stop on a week‑long Asian tour that began in Malaysia.
As the sun set, Air Force One touched down with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on board, and Trump was whisked by helicopter into the city for an audience with the Emperor.
Speaking en route from Malaysia, Trump told reporters he is “hopeful of a deal” when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea, adding that he is willing to extend his itinerary for a possible sit‑down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“I have a lot of respect for President Xi and we are going to… come away with a deal,” he said, noting that US‑China negotiators have already reached a “preliminary consensus” and a framework for the upcoming summit.
On Tuesday, Trump will meet Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and address personnel aboard the USS George Washington, docked at Yokosuka.
He praised Takaichi as a “great ally and friend of Shinzo Abe, who was my friend,” suggesting she will be a strong partner for US‑Japan relations.
The visit follows a flurry of agreements in Malaysia, including a cease‑fire pact between Thailand and Cambodia, trade pacts with both nations, a minerals deal with Malaysia, and renewed talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Markets are closely watching the Xi meeting, the first face‑to‑face between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House, for any breakthrough on the lingering trade war.
In Japan, Trump is also expected to press Tokyo on defense spending—Japan plans 2 % of GDP for defense this fiscal year, while the US seeks a higher commitment—and to negotiate greater imports of US goods such as rice, soybeans, cars, and Ford F‑150 trucks, as well as a $550 billion investment pledge from Japan.
Before arriving in Japan, US Treasury Secretary Bessent and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng held two days of trade talks in Malaysia, with China’s Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang confirming a “preliminary consensus.”
Bessent described the discussions as a “framework for President Trump (and) President Xi to decide,” and Trump remarked, “It’s going to be great for China, great for us.”
Trump’s Asia swing also includes a stop in Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday, where he will meet President Lee Jae Myung ahead of the APEC summit.
He reiterated openness to meeting Kim Jong Un, recalling their 2019 DMZ encounter: “I would love to meet with him if he’d like… I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me.”
When asked if he would extend his trip for such a meeting, Trump replied, “I hadn’t thought of it, but… I would, I would do that, sure.”
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