Ishiba Says First Call With Trump "Promoting Early Meeting"...Concerns over security and economic pressures

[Anchor]
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he will make his first phone call with Trump and meet him as soon as possible.

However, local media in Japan predicted that after Trump took office as president, Japan will face strong pressure in diplomacy, security and economy.

Correspondent Kim Se-ho's report from Tokyo.

[Reporter]
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had his first phone conversation with Trump.

The two sides said they agreed to meet as soon as possible.

[Ishiba Shigeru / Japanese Prime Minister: We have confirmed our intention to meet as early as possible, and we have decided to take the U.S.-Japan alliance to a higher level and to a higher level.]

When Trump won the presidential election in 2016, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately flew to Washington to build a friendship with Trump.

Prime Minister Ishiba will also reportedly attend the G20 summit in Brazil next week and then visit the U.S. to push for an early meeting with Trump.

[Shigeru Ishiba / Japanese Prime Minister: In a nutshell, it felt very friendly. The impression was that he was a person who could speak his mind without making up or making up words.

Japanese media predicted that if Trump, who emphasizes U.S. priority, takes office, Japan will face strong pressure in diplomacy, security and the economy.

It also predicted the possibility that Trump, who prioritizes realistic interests, will directly negotiate with North Korea and Russia regardless of the will of his allies.

In addition, some observers say that since he demanded more than three times the cost of U.S. military presence in Japan during his presidency in 2019, he could offer a higher increase than that.

It also vowed to impose tariffs of up to 20% on products made outside the United States, but if it becomes a reality, major Japanese exports, including automobiles, will inevitably be hit.

As Trump rejected the weak yen, saying it was a disaster for U.S. companies, it could also affect Japan's interest rate policy.

Prime Minister Ishiba is in a position to pass the re-nomination election for the prime minister on the 11th.

As the political base is weak, there are growing doubts about whether it will properly respond to diplomatic variables from Trump.

I'm Kim Se-ho from YTN in Tokyo.