WASHINGTON ��President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to meet in Washington Feb. 10 and affirmed the importance of their alliance, Abe said, after the U.S. strained relations by withdrawing from a Pacific trade pact.
The two leaders discussed economic and security issues during a phone call, Abe said.
The prime minister explained the contribution made by Japanese automakers to the U.S., Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said. That reflected Japanese wariness over Trump's intent after he pledged in his inauguration speech to implement a "Buy American and Hire American" strategy.
Trump and Abe pair discussed "the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance and cooperation on regional and global issues," the White House said in a summary of the call. "President Trump affirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to ensuring the security of Japan."
The U.S.-Japan alliance, a bedrock of security in the Pacific region, has come under stress since Trump backed out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership shortly after taking office. Abe, a key advocate of the deal, has signaled he's open to a bilateral agreement, and said earlier this week that he wanted to meet with Trump to show that the two nations' alliance is "unshakable."
"When we meet on Feb. 10, I want to have a frank exchange of opinions on the economy and security," Abe said. "I want to make it a meaningful exchange of opinions."
Trump told Republican members of Congress in Philadelphia this week that rather than large multinational deals, he would d seek bilateral agreements with quick opt-out triggers. Japan is the fourth-biggest U.S. trading partner, and total trade between the two countries was $194 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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(Reynolds reported from Tokyo. Emi Nobuhiro and Nick Wadhams contributed to this report.)
