Abe and Trump high-five on golf course

They last met in November when Mr Abe visited Mr Trump in NY shortly after the latter won the presidential election. Yet some Japanese officials are warning that the reason Washington has agreed in most parts with Tokyo on security issues is that the United States is preparing to demand that Japan make compromises in bilateral trade and financial policies. “I am sincerely grateful for the always heartwarming welcome”.

A new trade relationship between two of the world’s largest economies will set a precedent for other countries and the new USA leadership.

At a press conference on Friday in Washington DC, Trump had said the USA is committed to the security of Japan and to strengthen their “very crucial alliance”, Reuters reported. “Japan is a proud nation with a rich history and culture and the American people have profound respect for your country and its traditions”, Trump said. “Safety is a primary reason, one of the reasons, I’m standing here today”.

Meanwhile, however, he was content to laud the “good bond, good chemistry” he is developing with Abe.

“Zeleny said when Trump didn’t have his earpiece on, he was following cues from his aides on when to laugh”, replied another.

“He [Kishi] once told me, ‘When I saw President Eisenhower become upset about missing a putt right in front of me, I felt the distance between us had suddenly grown much closer, ‘” Abe told reporters.

Trump also was expected to tend to other business in Florida: calling Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos as he continues conversations with foreign leaders. “This is the dynamism of democracy”. It has been three weeks, and Trump has harmed the nation’s image around the world.

Most budget cars sold by Toyota and Honda are “produced in U.S. factories by American workers”, he said, noting that USA investments by Japanese companies total $411 billion, generating 840,000 jobs.

Trump has been hostile toward China, saying that China has taken jobs away from the United States through unfair trade practices.

While the administration maintains that all options are on the table – including a Supreme Court appeal – Trump said on the plane ride down to Florida for the weekend that he was considering signing a “brand new order” as early as Monday to try to bypass the legal challenges.

In a March interview with the New York Times, Trump said noted that “unfortunately, we have a nuclear world now”. “We’re going to do whatever’s necessary to keep our country safe”.

“We will do something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. You’ll be seeing that sometime next week”, he said.

Economists often accuse Mr Trump – who has threatened to impose import tariffs on goods from Mexico and China – of looking at trade relations in outdated terms, where any jobs lost by Americans or imports come at the expense of the USA economy. But let’s be honest – we already knew Trump likes to be in control.