President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Advance the United States’ and Japan’s Global Partnership

Tokyo, Japan - President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Advance the United States’ and Japan’s Global Partnership.

President Donald J. Trump visited Japan May 25–28. During this historic visit, the President and First Lady Melania Trump congratulated Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress on the Emperor’s enthronement as the new Emperor of Japan. The President renewed the strong bonds of friendship between our two countries during the new era of “Reiwa.”

The President and Prime Minister Abe reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance and noted that it is the cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. The two leaders also highlighted steps taken to strengthen security, economic, scientific, and cultural cooperation.

True Global Partnership

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe have enhanced and deepened our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and, in a new era of U.S.-Japan relations, have built a true global partnership.
Under President Trump, the United States and Japan have negotiated a series of beneficial agreements, including on energy and infrastructure investment in November 2017.
The United States and Japan are working to advance a rules-based maritime order, improve energy security, ensure secure and resilient telecommunications systems, and boost resiliency to natural disasters.

Robust Security Alliance

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe highlighted the need for an increasingly networked structure of alliances and partnerships, anchored by the U.S.-Japan Alliance, to counter challenges to the United States’ and Japan’s shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
President Trump and Prime Minister Abe noted that the U.S.-Japan Alliance is both a model and a platform for binding those allies and partners closer together to uphold the rules-based order in the region.
President Trump and Prime Minister Abe reaffirmed that international law applies in cyberspace and that a cyber attack could, in certain circumstances, constitute an armed attack under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. They also reaffirmed that a decision as to when a cyber attack would constitute an armed attack under Article V would be made on a case-by-case basis, and through close consultations between Japan and the United States, as would be the case for any other threat.
Japan committed to strengthening and enhancing information security practices to protect classified information, maintain technological superiority, and preserve our shared economic and defense advantages. President Trump and Prime Minister Abe emphasized the need for greater supply chain security, noting threats to the defense industrial base, national networks, and critical infrastructure.
President Trump and Prime Minister Abe reaffirmed their commitment to the realignment of United States forces in Japan to maintain United States armed forces’ operational readiness and deterrent capability while mitigating the impact on local communities.

Space, Technology, and Science Leadership

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe agreed on the importance of a sustained human presence on and around the Moon. Building on its International Space Station (ISS) experience, Japanese astronauts will strive to join American astronauts on the Moon and destinations beyond.
Meaningful cooperation, such as on ISS, the future exchange of samples from Japan’s Hayabusa2 and NASA’s OSIRIS-REx missions, and future partnership on the Martian Moon eXplorer (MMX) mission, enables fundamental research and technology development, serves as an inspiration for future generations, and advances joint human and robotic exploration endeavors.
The April 2019 U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (2+2) highlighted space as a priority area to better prepare the U.S.-Japan Alliance for cross-domain operations.
The United States and Japan met for the 14th Joint High Level Committee (JHLC) Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation on May 2, 2019 in Washington, D.C. to advance our nation’s science and technology leadership. S.-Japan cooperation provides the basis for scientific, technological, and economic progress that benefits both nations. The JHLC advanced cooperation in energy, bioscience, precision medicine, future workforce development, the use of emerging technologies, quantum science, space, and artificial intelligence.
Nearly six decades of health and bioscience U.S.-Japan cooperation has achieved profound breakthroughs in cancer and infectious disease research, food and drug safety, support for aging populations, bioscience technologies, and influenza and emergency preparedness. In early 2019, both nations convened the 21st International Conference on “Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim” with the shared objectives of making the world safer from pandemics and promoting One Health Principles and bioscience globally.

Strategic Energy Partners

The Japan-U.S. Strategic Energy Partnership (JUSEP) is deepening cooperation on power sector and transmission grid development, particularly in the Mekong Region and in Africa, to grow sustainable and secure energy markets, increase energy diversification and trade, and expand energy access across the region.
The two sides are deepening civil nuclear cooperation, including in innovation, commercial cooperation in specific markets, nuclear decommissioning, training and capacity building to ensure the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation.
JUSEP is exploring means to unleash value in energy and infrastructure by catalyzing private capital. Cooperation will be targeted to develop deep and liquid debt markets for energy and infrastructure investments by catalyzing private capita and identifying avenues to increase and enhance investment opportunities for Japan industry in the U.S. energy and infrastructure market.
The JUSEP Power Sector Business Initiative leveraged Japan’s $10 billion in financing to stimulate investment in energy projects. S. and Japanese companies cooperate on these projects in the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Mozambique, and Indonesia.
Expanding and deepening energy and quality infrastructure cooperation through training and capacity building programs for third countries. This cooperation aligns Japan’s energy capacity building efforts with the U.S. Asia EDGE (Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy) Initiative and includes activities such as liquefied natural gas value chain and procurement training in Southeast Asia.

Fostering the Digital Economy

The Japan-U.S. Strategic Digital Economy Partnership (JUSDEP) supports secure digital connectivity and develops the digital economy in third countries by facilitating high-standard investments.
This Partnership aligns Japan’s public financing and capacity building initiatives with the United States’ Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership and related initiatives such as the U.S.-ASEAN Smart Cities Partnership.
JUSDEP’s core principles are encouraging innovation and enabling digital trade, countering digital protectionism and the illegitimate use of data by authoritarian governments, promoting the free flow of data, and protecting privacy and intellectual property rights.
Initial activities include:
- Collaboration on smart cities with an initial, primary focus on ASEAN to improve the lives of people by applying best practices to advancing the digital transformation of urban systems.
- Strengthening cybersecurity capacity building cooperation to ensure partner nations can develop robust and secure digital economies.
- Fostering Centers of Excellence to share cybersecurity best practices and enhance the digital economy.
- Promoting digital connectivity and services that respect human rights, uphold our shared values, and support policies to enable an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet.
- Furthering the deployment of secure and reliable information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and the implementation of telecommunication principles that foster secure, reliable, and trusted supply chains.
- Enhancing standards cooperation to foster leadership in the development of global ICT standards.

Advancing Prosperity Together

Bilateral economic ties are strengthened by Japan’s continued foreign direct investment into the United States. Japan is the 3rd largest source of investment, the 3rd largest contributor to U.S. research and development spending, and the second largest contributor to U.S. employment and the top contributor to manufacturing-based employment overall.
Toyota recently announced that by 2021 it will invest nearly $13 billion in its U.S. operations with plans to add nearly 600 new jobs at American manufacturing plants. Also, Toyota, Softbank and Denso announced a $1 billion dollar investment to help Uber develop self-driving cars and technology.

Championing Free and Open Societies

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe are unlocking greater private investment, combating corruption, and securing nations’ autonomy from foreign coercion by promoting transparency, openness, and rule of law.
Championing young leaders in the Indo-Pacific region.
Promoting free and open media.