US President Donald Trump met Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss trade relations, security cooperation, and Japan's planned increase in defence spending.

Trump praised Takaichi as Japan's first female prime minister and welcomed her initiative to accelerate military modernisation. Takaichi has pledged to raise defence spending to two percent of GDP.

According to sources cited by Reuters, she plans to unveil a 550-billion-dollar investment package including joint shipbuilding projects and increased imports of US agricultural and energy products.

Takaichi also intends to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, a step media reports say aligns with Trump's long-held ambitions and may help ease US pressure on Japan over defence cost-sharing.

The two leaders visited a US naval base in Yokosuka and reiterated their commitment to deepening economic and security ties.

The White House confirmed that Trump and Takaichi signed a framework agreement on rare earth and critical minerals to strengthen supply chains and reduce vulnerability in key industries.

Trump will continue his Asia tour with a visit to South Korea, where he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in hopes of advancing a deal to resolve the US-China trade dispute.

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