If Japan needed reassurances it was indeed still the US's top ally and friend in the increasingly unstable Asia-Pacific, it got that and then some. But what was striking about the Trump-Ishiba meeting at the White House was what didn't happen.

During the Friday meeting, the president plans to cover a range of issues in his meeting with the Japanese prime minister, including Japanese investment in the U.S. economy, and improving cyber security.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is the first Asian leader to visit the second Trump administration. He faces challenges in overcoming President Trump's skepticism toward alliances.