via NBC News on February 7, 2025
Japanese leader to stress importance of Asian alliances in meeting with Trump
By Jennifer Jett, Arata Yamamoto and Stella Kim
Ishiba is looking for a “neutral outcome” from the visit, and is most likely just happy to be the second foreign leader to meet with Trump after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Michael Cucek, an assistant professor of Asian studies at Temple University in Japan.