Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington Friday. The meeting between Trump and one of the United States' strongest allies in the Indo-Pacific region is expected to focus around economic and security issues along the theme of "a free and open Ind-Pacific" against tightening military control by China.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to meet with Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, as the Japanese leader hopes to cement ties with the country's primary foreign partner. US and Japanese officials said economic and security concerns - particularly North Korea - will be high on the agenda,

Shigeru Ishiba is due in Washington for high-stakes talks on Friday with Donald Trump, where Japan’s prime minister hopes to declare a new golden era for relations but has been briefed to expect an unpredictable US president.

"Since it's going to be our first face-to-face meeting, I hope to build trust with him," Ishiba said before leaving Tokyo's Haneda Airport for Washington. Ishiba spent last weeken