Japan's Takaichi tries to reaffirm alliance with Trump as he seeks help securing Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Trump made a Pearl Harbor comment in front of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and the room fell silent afterwards.

WASHINGTON -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sought to reaffirm her alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday after the president this week seemed to complain that Japan was among the nations that did not quickly join his call to help protect the Strait of Hormuz.

Takaichi, who met with Trump at the White House, told the Republican president that Japan has opposed Iran’s development of its nuclear program and appealed to his desire to be seen as a peacemaker, despite his launching a war of choice with Iran. She told the U.S. president through an interpreter that in the Middle East and around the world now, there was “a very severe security environment,” but said, “Even against that backdrop, I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.”

The two leaders had warm words for each other, including Trump calling the prime minister a “popular, powerful woman,” but there appeared to be some tension as they faced repeated questions from reporters about Japan’s support for the Iran war.

As Trump took questions from reporters during the roughly 30-minute public appearance with the prime minister in the Oval Office before their closed-door meeting, Taikaichi could be seen checking her watch. And then Trump made a particularly uncomfortable remark -- invoking Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor -- when he was asked why the U.S. didn’t notify allies like Japan ahead of the strikes on Iran.

“We didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?” Trump joked.

As Trump said that, Takaichi’s slight smile appeared to drop, and she raised her eyebrows.

READ MORE: ‘Who knows better about surprise than Japan?’ Trump’s Pearl Harbor comment to Japan’s PM stuns room

Earlier Thursday, the leaders of five European countries and Japan issued a joint statement demanding that Iran stop attacks on the Strait of Hormuz that block commercial shipping, and said they are ready to contribute to “appropriate efforts” to ensure ships can pass safely through the strait, though it is not clear what that entails.

Trump told reporters that he and Takaichi would be discussing in their meeting Japan’s level of support for the U.S. in the Iran war, saying, “They are really stepping up to the plate.” He did not offer details.

He later said that much of the oil Japan relies on passes through the Strait of Hormuz and said, “so that’s a big reason to step up. He also mentioned U.S. spending in Japan and the number of troops it has stationed there.

“I expect Japan to step up, you know, because we have that kind of relationship,” Trump said.

After her meeting with Trump, Takaichi told reporters that they agreed that ensuring the safety of the Strait of Hormuz was of the utmost importance, but she gave Trump a detailed explanation of the actions Japan can and cannot take under its law.

A nuclear reactor deal announcement is expected

Taikaichi’s meeting at the White House, followed by a dinner Thursday night, was supposed to give Japan’s new prime minister a prime opportunity to have Trump’s ear before he embarked on a trip to China.

But now, the war in Iran and Trump’s call for Japan and other nations to help protect the vital Strait of Hormuz means the China trip has been delayed. Trump had repeatedly complained on camera and online this week that U.S. allies, including Japan, did not heed his request to help safeguard the critical waterway for oil and gas transport. He later declared the help wasn’t needed, but made other comments indicating he still expected help.

The prime minister acknowledged before she left Japan that she expected her meeting with Trump would be “very difficult.”

Beyond facing questions about Iran, Takaichi and Trump on Thursday are expected to announce a US$40 billion nuclear reactor deal, according to a White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details before the announcement.

Under the deal, U.S.-based GE Vernova Inc. and Japan-based Hitachi Ltd. will build advanced small modular reactors in Tennessee and Alabama, the official said. The deal aims to help stabilize electricity prices and expand power generation in the U.S.

The meeting carries high stakes

Kurt Campbell, the former U.S. deputy secretary of state in the Biden administration and now chair of The Asia Group, said that to press for Japan’s interests, Takaichi needed to find a way to suggest that Japan is part of the U.S. plan in the Middle East.

“She’s going to want to come out of that as a partner in this case and realize that if she can do that, that she can translate that potentially into the president listening more to Japanese concerns about Taiwan or other issues,” Campbell said.

The constraints on Japan’s involvement in Iran include a provision in its post-World War II constitution that bans the use of force except to defend its territory. The country’s military is called the Self-Defence Force.

Christopher Johnstone, a partner and chair of the defence and national security practice at The Asia Group, said Japan could help with minesweeping and has had “a small naval presence” in the region as part of an anti-piracy mission for at least a decade. But to join the U.S. mission would require Takaichi to clear “an exceptionally high bar politically to invoke collective self-defence” that has never been done before.

READ MORE: Canada, allies ready to help unblock Strait of Hormuz as oil prices spike

Takaichi wanted to focus on trade and security in the Indo-Pacific region

Takaichi, who had her first meeting with Trump in October in Tokyo, is Japan’s first female prime minister and a protege of former leader Shinzo Abe, who developed a close relationship with Trump.

She is also a hard-line conservative and longtime supporter of Taiwan, whose comments about Japan’s willingness to provide military support to the island have heightened tensions with China.

Takaichi told reporters later that they discussed deepening U.S.-Japanese cooperation in regional security, critical minerals, energy and dealing with China.

China views self-governed Taiwan, which the U.S. relies on for its production of computer chips, as its sovereign territory and has said it would take it by force if needed.

But beyond questions about helping with the Strait of Hormuz, the global implications of the Iran war have also put the Japanese leader in a tougher spot with Trump as she seeks to ensure U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

Japan considers China a growing security threat and has pushed a military buildup on southwestern islands near the East China Sea. But the U.S. has shifted some troops stationed in Japan to the Middle East, removing a check against China’s power.

Takaichi is expected to raise concerns about troop shifts with Trump because they are coming at the same time China is launching a large number of exercises around Taiwan.

“This raises the prospect that -- once again -- the United States will be distracted and bogged down in the Middle East at a time when the deterrence problem in East Asia has never been greater,” Johnstone said.

READ MORE: Mark Carney signs new strategic partnership with Japan

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By Michelle L. Price And Didi Tang

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.