(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump continued to tout his recent trade deals Tuesday in Japan, marking the second leg of an Asian tour that will culminate in a face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During a meeting with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Tuesday, Trump referred to Japan as an “ally at the strongest level” and praised the country’s previous $550 billion investment commitment to the United States.
The leaders struck a pair of deals, including one that secures critical and rare-earth minerals for the U.S.
“We’ve made Japan a lot of money, that’s OK,” Trump told troops on the USS George Washington. “But they’re a big investor in our country, and we like that.”
With Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the crowd, Trump praised American military power and recruitment.
He also announced a $10 billion investment into Toyota auto plants across the U.S. At a later event with business leaders, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said an additional $490 billion in investment would soon be signed.
“It’s a great honor,” Trump said. “You are all great businesspeople.”
Trump leaves Japan for South Korea on Wednesday, where he will meet with leaders, including Xi, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.
Tariffs, trade and TikTok are expected to be the focuses of that long-awaited meeting, which comes following news of a framework for a trade deal between the U.S. and China.
The deal may also involve China resuming the purchase of soybeans from U.S. farmers after trade disputes disrupted the once-solid relationship.
Regarding the upcoming meeting, Trump said on Tuesday, “It’s going to work out very well actually.”