Joint Press Conference by Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru and President Donald Trump of the United States of America

[Opening statement by Prime Minister Ishiba]

President Trump, I thank you most sincerely for inviting me here today so soon after taking office and also for the warmhearted hospitality I have received.

My visit to Washington, D.C. today has been with the intent of meeting at an early opportunity President Trump, who stands at the helm steering the United States of America, the most important nation for Japan in terms of both security and diplomacy. I have come with the goal of deepening our mutual understanding and also confirming that our visions for what Japan and the U.S. should aim to achieve are fully congruous.

What should we do to synergistically enhance the national interests of both Japan and the United States and foster peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region? I am of the firm conviction that the answer is the further reinforcement of our strong and unwavering Japan-U.S. Alliance, which will lead to the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

President Trump and I affirmed we will enhance the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance and work together closely to address strategic challenges that both of our countries face in the Indo-Pacific region.

I stated that as an ally of the United States, Japan shares responsibility with the U.S. and is prepared to carry out its role. I reiterated to President Trump that Japan is fully committed to fundamentally reinforcing our defense capabilities, and I confirmed with him the United States' unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan.

We also reaffirmed that Article V of the Japan-U.S. Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security applies to the Senkaku Islands.

The Indo-Pacific region accounts for half of the world's population and roughly 60 percent of its gross domestic product. This region is, moreover, the driving factor for the growth and vitality of Japan, the United States, and the world overall.

President Trump and I agreed that Japan and the United States will work hand in hand as we make further efforts across a wide range of fields, with a view to realizing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

In that context, we were of the very same mind towards further building up cooperation within regional multilayered networks among like-minded countries, including the Quad (Japan-Australia-India-U.S.) and trilateral cooperation among Japan, the U.S., and the Republic of Korea and also Japan, the U.S., and the Philippines.

We also discussed Japan-U.S. bilateral cooperation to foster growth and prosperity. Economic cooperation, including with regard to economic security, is of the utmost importance, also from the viewpoint of reinforcing the Alliance.

Japan is the United States' closest economic partner, and we have also been the top investor nation for the United States five years running. Momentum among Japanese companies for investing in the United States has been mounting even further in response to President Trump taking office. Today I told President Trump that we aim to raise our investment amount in the United States to the unprecedented scale of US$1 trillion, and that my administration wants to work together [with the U.S. side] to make that level of investment a reality.

President Trump and I shared the same recognition that, in light of all this, we will elevate the Japan-U.S partnership to an even higher level by improving the business environments in both countries and increasing bilateral investment and employment, by strengthening each other's industries and leading the world in the development of technology fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and leading-edge semiconductors, and by vigorously promoting efforts to harness the energy of the growing market in the Indo-Pacific region.

We also confirmed that we will cooperate to reinforce energy security between Japan and the U.S., including increasing exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas to Japan, in a mutually beneficial manner.

Regarding the exchange rate, we will continue our close discussions between the Japanese and U.S. finance ministers, who are experts, as we did during President Trump's first administration.

We also had candid discussions on issues facing the Indo-Pacific region. I stated that in order to fully defend the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Japan cannot accept any unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion. We also confirmed our commitment to opposing any such attempts in the East or South China Seas.

In addition, we reconfirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Moreover, we reasserted the need for Japan and the U.S. to together address North Korea's nuclear and missile development, issues that pose a grave threat to Japan, the United States, and the world, and confirmed that Japan and the United States will work in cooperation to bring about the complete denuclearization of North Korea.

As the abduction victims and their family members continue to age, I conveyed directly to President Trump my strong sense of urgency and determination regarding this matter, and President Trump once again indicated his powerful support for the immediate resolution of the abduction issue.

While this was the first time for President Trump and I to speak face to face, I believe we had an extremely fruitful meeting covering topics of great substance, and we engaged in a very candid and forthright exchange of views.

Japan-U.S. relations set sail on a new departure through today's meeting, and we will release a Japan-United States Joint Leaders' Statement reflecting the day's outcomes. This Statement will serve as what we might call a mariner's compass by which we chart a course for future Japan-U.S. cooperation.

Based on these outcomes, I intend to forge a new golden age for the Japan-U.S. bilateral relationship together with President Trump, for whom I hold the greatest respect.

I look forward most sincerely to welcoming President Trump to Japan for our next meeting.

Thank you, Mr. President.