President Donald Trump says he wants to slash the U.S. trade deficit with Japan. Trump made the comments as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to the White House on Friday for their first face-to-face meeting.

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on Friday and said the two countries would work to cut Washington's trade deficit with Tokyo amid escalating trade tensions threatening to rupture the global economy.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has praised United States President Donald Trump as a “very sincere and powerful person.” Ishiba made this remark on Friday when asked by reporters about his impressions of Trump since he took office at the White House.