Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to meet US President-elect Donald Trump in New York on Thursday. Abe is the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his victory in last week's election. Before leaving Tokyo, Abe told reporters he wants to build a relationship of trust, saying the US-Japan alliance is the core of Tokyo's diplomacy and security. But details about the meeting remain unclear.

Trump's comments during his campaign fanned worries in Tokyo. He dashed hopes for US approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. Trump also said he would demand allies contribute more towards the cost of having US troops based in their countries.