Trump heaps praise on Japan’s first female leader, signs rare earths deal

TOKYO, Oct 28 — U.S. President Donald Trump praised Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, during his Tokyo visit on Tuesday, calling her “one of the great leaders” while signing new trade and rare earths agreements between the two nations.

Takaichi, a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, pledged to strengthen Japan’s military and increase defense spending to 2% of GDP. The two leaders agreed on a major partnership in energy, AI, and critical minerals — with Japan committing up to $400 billion in U.S. investments.

Trump applauded Takaichi’s leadership, saying, “Everything I know from Shinzo and others — you will be one of the great prime ministers.”

The U.S. and Japan also signed a deal to boost rare earth supplies, aiming to reduce dependence on China. Trump met with the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea and expressed strong support for their cause.

The trip, which also includes stops in Malaysia, South Korea, and meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later in the week, marks Trump’s push to strengthen alliances and strike trade truces in Asia.

(Reuters)