ISTANBUL 

Increased imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, as well as a stalled deal on the purchase of US Steel, are likely to be discussed as President Donald Trump hosts visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington, DC on Friday.

Ishiba arrived in the US for a three-day visit and his first face-to-face sit down with Trump, who was inaugurated for his non-consecutive second term last month.

After the US president hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early this week, the Japanese prime minister will be the second foreign leader meeting Trump. He had spoken with Trump in a five-minute phone call after the Republican won the Nov. 5 presidential polls.

“We will have candid discussions, deepen our mutual understanding, and build a relationship of trust,” said Ishiba, soon after landing in the US and later sharing a photo of himself in Washington, DC, apparently preparing to meet with Trump.

During their meeting, Ishiba is expected to propose increasing Japan's LNG purchases from the US. The two sides are also likely to discuss Nippon Steel's pending $14.1 billion acquisition of Pittsburgh-based US Steel.

Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden had blocked the purchase deal in the last days of his presidency, triggering lawsuits against the Democrat’s decision.

Ahead of his meeting with Ishiba, Trump met with US Steel CEO David Burritt at the White House on Thursday.

On the security front, according to the Tokyo-based Kyodo News, a joint statement is expected to be issued at the end of the meeting that “would also affirm that Article 5 of the Japan-US security treaty applies to the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.”

Japan is an old ally of the US in the Asia-Pacific region, hosting more than 50,000 American soldiers, besides military bases.

The article obliges Washington to defend the territories under Japan's administration from an armed attack.

Japan is also part of a US-led loose security alliance, Quad, which includes Australia and India as well.

Ishiba's meeting with Trump also comes after the US president imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to retaliate its own tariffs on US imports.

The two sides are also expected to discuss the security issues on the Korean Peninsula, particularly focusing on North Korea.

Tokyo accuses Pyongyang of abducting its citizens during the 1970s and 1980s.

Trilateral cooperation with South Korea, which is witnessing a political crisis since a short-lived martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, is also likely to be discussed by Trump and Ishiba.