00:00Now, both Japan and the United States have developed the greatest alliance in the world,
00:08and together with you, Japan is ready to contribute to the world's peace and stability.
00:14This will be a relationship that will be stronger than ever before,
00:18and I look forward to working with you.
00:20And on behalf of our country, I want to just let you know,
00:24any time you have any question, any doubt, anything you want,
00:28any favors you need, anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there.
00:32We are an ally at the strongest level.
00:38Now, President Trump there and also Japanese Prime Minister Sanai Takeichi
00:42speaking earlier at Akasaka Palace, and an interesting dynamic, Dave, going on there.
00:48And we're hearing just on the Top Live blog that Takeichi-san has presented
00:53Donald Trump with a golf bag signed by Hideki Matsuyama,
00:57and also Prime Minister Abe's putter apparently is in that golf bag.
01:03Of course, we all know that Donald Trump and Shinzo Abe had a good relationship.
01:08The last time Trump was here in Tokyo, he met with Abe at Akasaka Palace.
01:13We know that Takeichi-san is a protege, if you will, of Shinzo Abe.
01:18So there were a lot of kind words about the slain former Prime Minister of Japan who was, of course,
01:24assassinated in 2022.
01:26Dave?
01:27Yeah, they did.
01:28That was one of the things that stood out to me, Steve, really, among this.
01:33And I think it's worth pointing out that that sound bite we just played really tells you everything
01:41almost you need to know about what this relationship will really look like between not just the two countries,
01:47but the personal rapport that, you know, President Trump always talks about his personal relationships
01:53and how that is an important facet to how, I guess, he approaches things and his worldview.
01:59And that really underscores what he thinks and how he thinks about the new Japanese Prime Minister.
02:05And I think just to circle back to your earlier point, you know, both of them have this really deep affection
02:11for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which I guess really just underscores how close the relationship has even become
02:18in the last, just call it the last two, three hours or so, Steve.
02:23Yeah, and I think it's a bit of a relief as well to Japanese authorities that their discussions have gotten off
02:29on such a very warm footing.
02:32And also Scott Besant also hailing the expansionary policies that lifted the Nikkei 225 as well above 50,000.
02:39Kind of takes the pressure, if you will, at least face-to-face pressure for the Japanese to address the issue of the weak yen at 152 to the dollar.
02:47So we are going to be shifting focus tomorrow as I also head to the airport and head to Korea.
02:54The next big meeting, of course, you know, this is still going on, obviously, a working lunch between Trump and Takeichi-san.
03:00But Thursday in Korea, in Gwangju, down in Southeast Korea, you're going to have that high-profile Trump-Xi meeting.
03:08Here we've heard as well recently from Nicholas Burns, the former U.S. ambassador under Joe Biden, by the way, to China.
03:16This is what he had to say about the Trump-Xi meeting coming up in South Korea.
03:20I think the tension between the United States on trade issues is going to continue past this meeting.
03:26That's not a criticism of President Trump.
03:29It's actually more criticism of the Chinese government and the fact that they've been extraordinarily difficult on these issues.
03:36Overall, I'd say that, you know, this is a very competitive U.S.-China relationship.
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