For Japan’s new leader, the key to connecting with Trump could be a Ford F-150 truck

TOKYO (AP) — On Monday, President Donald Trump arrived in Japan. New Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes to calm trade tensions by getting to know the U.S. leader personally.

One important part of this plan would be Japan’s desire to buy a fleet of Ford F-150 trucks. This would be a nice gesture, but it might not work because Tokyo and other Japanese cities have limited roadways.

Takaichi is the first woman to govern Japan, and this is her first test as a diplomat. She just started her job last week, and her coalition is weak.

As he flew to Asia on Air Force One, Trump quickly bought into the idea of Ford trucks.

Trump told reporters, “She has good taste.” “That truck is hot.”

Trump was aboard a plane on Saturday when the two talked on the phone. Takaichi said she was a protégé of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who Trump liked during his first term. She also said she commended him for brokering the Gaza ceasefire that led to the return of hostages held by Hamas.

“I thought (Trump) was a very happy and fun person,” she remarked. “He knows me well and said he remembers me as a politician that (former) Prime Minister Abe really cared about,” she said. “And I told the president that I can’t wait to meet him in Tokyo.”

Trump was in Malaysia on Sunday for a regional summit, and he left for Japan on Monday morning. He remarked on Air Force One on Monday that he would talk about the “great friendship” between the U.S. and Japan in Tokyo. Starting over with trade
Underneath the friendliness is the hunt for a way to deal with the trade relationship that Trump shook up earlier this year with tariffs, which is becoming more complicated.

Trump wants friends to buy more American goods and also promise to spend money on building manufacturing and energy infrastructure in the U.S.

The sessions in Japan come before Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea.

The U.S. and Japan have both tried to stop China from becoming a major manufacturer. If China starts making electric cars, AI, and powerful computer chips, it might hurt the economies of both countries.

Kristi Govella, Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, said, “Trump may also be thinking about how he can strengthen his hand by showing how strong the U.S.-Japan relationship is.”

Japan’s last government agreed in September to put $550 billion into the U.S. This made Trump lower a 25% tariff on Japanese exports to 15%. Japan, on the other hand, wants the investments to benefit Japanese suppliers and contractors.

Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s minister of economy and trade, has said that his ministry is putting together a list of computer chip and energy projects in an effort to reach the investment goal.

He told reporters on Friday, “As far as I know, I’m hearing that a number of Japanese companies are interested,” but he didn’t say anything else.

Ford trucks in Tokyo would be a strong sign
Japanese officials are thinking about buying more American soybeans, cars, and liquefied natural gas.

Trump would see Ford vehicles on the tall buildings of Tokyo as a success. For a long time, the government has said that American cars couldn’t get into a market where Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, and Subaru are based. In September, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC that Japan wouldn’t buy U.S.-made cars because “Chevys” were popular with Japanese gangsters.

Japan’s Nikkei newspaper said that Takaichi might set up a spot for Ford F-150 pickups to be shown to Trump. The government is thinking of bringing in the trucks so that the transport ministry may use them to check on roads and other infrastructure. However, some people are worried that the F-150 could make traffic worse on narrow Japanese streets. A Ford official did not get back to us when we asked for a comment. Japanese news sources say that Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., would tell Trump and other business executives at a dinner on Wednesday that he aims to bring his company’s American-made cars back to Japan.

Takaichi’s relationship with Abe and the gestures should help her deal with Trump, who seems to like her.

Trump said on Air Force One, “I think she’s going to be great.” “She was a good friend of Mr. Abe, who was a good man.”

Abe handed Trump a fancy golf club in 2016 to commemorate his first election. The two leaders became friends over their love of golf. Trump constantly talks about how sad he is about Abe’s death in 2022.

Rintaro Nishimura, an expert on Japan at the advising firm The Asia Group, suggested that Takaichi’s ties to Abe could be dangerous for her. Nishimura remarked, “I think she wants to start with a bang because this is Takaichi’s first diplomatic engagement.” “Following the Abe line in this engagement is definitely going to be part of it, but some people say that relying too much on the Abe line might not be good for her as Japan’s leader and for building her own portfolio.”

On Monday, Trump will arrive in Tokyo and meet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito first. After meeting with Takaichi on Tuesday, he will speak on the U.S.S. George Washington aircraft carrier, which is docked in Japan, and then have dinner with business executives. On Wednesday, Trump will leave for South Korea.

But on Monday, while on Air Force One, he told reporters that he was also willing to meet with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, if that was possible.

Trump stated, “If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea.”

Source: https://apnews.com/article/trump-japan-takaichi-trade-ford-trucks-e7be33728c7c3fdb6c314780c8a9a533#

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