Trump, Japan’s Takaichi sign deal to secure rare earths supply

US President Donald Trump and Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have signed several key agreements in Tokyo, cementing their partnership on critical issues such as rare earth minerals and defense spending.

The deal is seen as a major victory for the US, which had been seeking increased investment from Japan to shore up its military capabilities. The agreement includes provisions for increased purchases of American soybeans, natural gas, and pickup trucks, as well as $550 billion in investments across various sectors including shipbuilding.

However, the terms also appear to temper Trump's demands for Tokyo to significantly increase its defense spending to counter China's growing assertiveness in the region. Takaichi pledged last week to fast-track plans to boost defense spending to 2 percent of Japan's GDP, which is still a relatively low target compared to other major militaries.

During their meeting at Akasaka Palace, Trump praised Takaichi as "one of the great prime ministers" and lavished her with personal praise, including a gift from his late friend Shinzo Abe. The gift included an Abe-signed golf bag and a gold-leaf golf ball.

The agreement on rare earth minerals is seen as a significant development in efforts to reduce reliance on China, which dominates global production of the critical materials used in high-tech products such as smartphones and fighter jets.

Takaichi's government has also committed to nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to the White House. The US and Japan will collaborate on identifying projects to address gaps in supply chains for these critical minerals and their derivatives.

As part of the agreement, Trump and Takaichi will visit various military installations, including a US naval base in Yokosuka, and engage with business leaders in Tokyo before traveling to South Korea, where they plan to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The talks are seen as an attempt to seal a trade war truce between the world's two largest economies.

I'm kinda surprised that Trump didn't push for Japan to up its defense spending more, considering all the fuss around China's growing assertiveness in the region... Still, it's a big win for the US on the rare earth minerals front - I mean, who wouldn't want to reduce their reliance on China? Plus, the $550 billion investment deal is no joke... Takaichi seems like she's walking a tightrope between keeping Trump happy and not jeopardizing Japan's sovereignty. Can't wait to see how this all plays out!

This deal is pretty cool, Japan's getting a lot of goodies from the US, like soybeans and natural gas . But also, the US got some promises for more investments in shipbuilding . And I'm glad they're working together on rare earth minerals . It's good that Takaichi is fast-tracking her country's defense spending plan . The gift from Shinzo Abe's family was really nice too . Now let's see if this trade war truce thing actually works out

Just saw the scoop on Trump and Takaichi's meeting in Tokyo and I'm thinking...it's all about balance, you know? They're not gonna rock the boat too much, but still make some noise to show they mean business. The $550 billion investment deal is a biggie, especially for the soybeans and natural gas. And let's be real, who doesn't love free stuff from Shinzo Abe? That golf bag with his signature on it is just too funny.

But seriously, this whole rare earth minerals thing is super significant. Japan's gotta diversify its supply chain ASAP, considering China's got a stranglehold on production. And the Nobel Peace Prize nod? Takaichi's crew must be feeling pretty good about themselves right now.

The visit to South Korea next? That's gonna be interesting. Xi Jinping might not take too kindly to Trump's presence. Fingers crossed they can keep the trade war truce going for now...

idk why trump is getting all the credit for this deal . it seems like takaichi just played nice and compromised on defense spending lol. i mean, 2% of japan's GDP is still super low compared to other major militaries. plus, there's no indication that japan is doing much more than agreeing to buy some american soybeans and natural gas .

and what's up with trump gifting takaichi a golf bag signed by abe? is that supposed to be some kind of awkward apology for everything he said about abe during his campaign?

anyway, i guess it's good that us and japan are working together on rare earth minerals and supply chains. let's hope they can actually deliver on their promises .

I'm not sure about this deal ... $550 billion investments from Japan sounds like a lot, but is it really enough to make up for China's growing assertiveness? And what's with Takaichi promising to fast-track defense spending to 2% of GDP? That still seems pretty low compared to other major militaries. I need to see some numbers and sources on that one ... and what's the deal with Trump getting a gift from Abe, including a signed golf bag? Sounds like a pretty lavish gesture for just meeting with her ... and what's the real motivation behind Takaichi nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize? Is this some kind of PR stunt or what?

just read that trump and takaichi signed some big deals think its cool how japan is gonna invest in us stuff like soybeans and natural gas but also kinda sad they didnt agree on defense spending wish they would have been more ambitious tho still, its a good start for the partnership between us and japan and maybe this trade war thingy will finally get resolved

I'm low-key disappointed that Trump didn't get his way on defense spending . I mean, Japan's already committed to increasing their spending by 1% of GDP in the next few years... it's a start, but still, I wish they'd shown more enthusiasm for helping out our ally . And what's up with the "one of the great prime ministers" flattery? It feels like he was trying too hard to curry favor . On a brighter note though, those rare earth minerals agreements are a huge win for both countries - Japan's going to start producing more of its own and we'll be less reliant on China . Fingers crossed the trade war truce holds true too

I'm kinda curious about these diplomatic moves, but at the same time I think it's a bit concerning that Takaichi is nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. I mean, shouldn't she be focusing on Japan's own issues and priorities? It feels like her government is getting distracted by all the US drama, if you know what I mean. Anyway, at least they're making some moves to boost defense spending and secure those rare earth minerals – it's about time we reduced our reliance on China for critical materials! Maybe this agreement will be a turning point in their partnership?

just thinkin', $550 billion is a crazy amount of cash, like what if Japan just put that into their own programs instead? idk, maybe it's good for both countries... but still, feels like the US is tryna get more outta this deal than they're giving up. Takaichi seems nice and all, but she's gotta make some tough decisions on defense spending ASAP. rare earth minerals are super important tho, so that part of the agreement makes sense...

I'm not sure if this deal is really a win for Japan or the US . Takaichi seemed pretty soft on defense spending, which could be seen as a bit of a cop-out considering China's rising assertiveness in the region . I mean, 2% of GDP is still a relatively low target compared to other major militaries, and that just doesn't seem like enough to counterbalance China's growing power .

And let's not forget about the elephant in the room: trade . This deal is being seen as an attempt to seal a truce between the US and China, but I'm not convinced it's going to work . The US has been all over China on trade issues lately, so how can this deal really be seen as a major victory for Trump? It just seems like more of the same old diplomacy, trying to paper over underlying tensions rather than actually addressing the root causes of the problem .

Still, I do think it's great that Japan and the US are teaming up on rare earth minerals – that could be a real game-changer for both countries . But at the end of the day, this deal just feels like more of a PR stunt to me . Can we really trust Trump to get tough on China when he's so busy playing golf with his friends?

ummm yeah so Japan got a new prime minister and she's already scoring points with trump lolol what else can you do right? and btw, 2 percent GDP defense spending is like really cute still low though, I guess it's better than zero anyway, yay for soybeans and pickup trucks, America's economy must be feeling pretty good can't wait to see what kind of "gifts" trump brings to japan next... maybe a new golf course or something?

This deal is like a typical bipartisan bill - everyone gets a piece of the pie but no one really gives up their principles . Trump got his wish for more American soybeans and pickup trucks, but Takaichi still managed to get some things done on defense spending . And let's be real, a $550 billion investment is peanuts compared to what China is throwing around in its Belt and Road Initiative .

But here's the thing - this deal shows us that even without significant increases in Japan's defense spending, they're still willing to partner with the US on key issues like rare earth minerals . It's all about finding common ground and making deals work, just like how bipartisan bills are supposed to be . Trump might have gotten some concessions, but it's not like he gave up the farm either .

think its kinda weird that trump is getting all the praise from takaichi she's supposed to be japs new pm but hes just lavishing her with gifts and praise like, does that mean japan's just gonna roll over for him on defense spending? hope not. anyways, the rare earth minerals deal is a good move imo we dont wanna be reliant on china for those critical tech materials. and maybe this trade war truce thing will actually happen but i'm not holding my breath

I don’t usually comment but... I think this deal is pretty interesting . On one hand, it's great for the US that Japan is willing to invest in their military and purchase more American goods like soybeans and natural gas. I mean, who doesn't love a good soybean bargain? But on the other hand, I'm not sure if Trump getting all that personal attention from Takaichi was necessary . The gift of an Abe-signed golf bag is just weird, you know? And what's up with Japan nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize without even knowing him properly? It feels like they're trying too hard to be cool .

Anyway, I guess this deal is a step in the right direction for US-Japan relations and all that jazz . The rare earth minerals thing is definitely important for reducing dependence on China, but it's also kinda scary how much of our tech relies on those materials . Still, at least we're talking about it now, I suppose .

This deal might be good for both countries, but China is still watching . It's all about balance and fair play . Don't let anyone fool you with fancy words and gifts .

This deal is a good thing for both US and Japan, but I'm not sure if it's enough for Trump. He seemed pretty happy with Takaichi after their meeting at Akasaka Palace, but we all know he's been pushing for some major concessions from Japan on defense spending. Still, 2% of GDP is better than nothing, right? And let's be real, a Nobel Peace Prize nomination isn't bad either... I guess it just goes to show that both leaders are thinking about the long game and trying to build relationships between their countries.