Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump met Friday in Osaka on the sidelines of the Group of 20 leaders' meeting, with Abe praising the strength of the Japan-U.S. military alliance and Trump thanking Japanese firms for creating thousands of jobs by building dozens of manufacturing plants in the United States.
"I visited the U.S. in April, and President Trump came to Japan as a state guest last month, followed by the G20 now," Abe said at the outset of the meeting.
"The frequency of travels by top leaders of the two countries is proof of the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance," he added.