Strengthening the US-Japan Alliance

President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced new initiatives to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance, enhance economic security, and bolster deterrence to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.

President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced new initiatives to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance, enhance economic security, and bolster deterrence to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.Japan agreed to three major tranches of investment in the United States under the 2025 U.S.-Japan Strategic Trade and Investment Agreement. The first tranche, announced in February 2026, was worth $36 billion. The United States has now welcomed the second tranche of Japanese investments, including up to $40 billion from GE Vernova Hitachi in Tennessee and Alabama to build small modular reactor power plants and up to $33 billion in natural gas generation facilities in Pennsylvania and Texas.The United States will prioritize visa processing for temporary business travelers, particularly those who make significant investments, train American workers, or transfer critical skills, techniques, or know-how.Both leaders discussed the ongoing threat posed by economic and geopolitical competitors restricting strategic supply chains, such as critical minerals, and reaffirmed initiatives to expand trusted supply chains for key infrastructure and industries.President Trump and Prime Minister Takaichi welcomed the outcomes of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum, which brought together 17 Indo-Pacific Ministers and hundreds of business leaders to highlight over $50 billion of projects and investments in the United States and the region.Under a new Memorandum of Cooperation, the U.S. and Japan will accelerate joint research and development of deep-sea critical minerals resources, including rare-earth muds near Japan’s Minamitorishima Island that could meet centuries’ worth of industrial demand.The U.S. Department of Energy and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology signed a Statement of Intent to drive cooperation on artificial intelligence-enabled scientific discovery and innovation, high-performance computing, and quantum technologies.With regard to strengthening deterrence and defense cooperation, the United States welcomed Japan’s commitment to rapidly improve its own defense capabilities, increase its defense budget, and continue partnering with U.S. forces in Japan and the region.The United States and Japan affirmed their commitment to deploying advanced capabilities in Japan to enable a strong denial defense posture. This will include building on the successful 2025 deployment of the U.S. Typhon missile system to mainland Japan. And in support of missile defense cooperation, the two sides will increase the production of Standard Missile 3 Block IIA missiles in Japan.The two leaders committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of regional security and global prosperity and supported the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues through dialogue. They expressed opposition to any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, including by force or coercion.The United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and to enhance the Japan-U.S.-[Republic of Korea] partnership. The United States supports Japan’s determination to achieve an immediate resolution of the abductee issue.The United States and Japan side will continue to advance economic and national security interests to safeguard the prosperity, lives, and property of the American and Japanese people.