Donald Trump meets with Japan’s former prime minister Taro Aso in New York

Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, a senior figure in the country’s ruling party, met with Donald Trump on Tuesday, becoming the latest US ally seeking to establish ties with the Republican presidential candidate.

The 83-year-old Aso, who is currently vice-president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, entered Trump Tower in Manhattan on Tuesday evening and met with the former US president for about an hour.

“He’s a highly respected man in Japan and beyond and somebody that I’ve liked and I’ve known through our very dear friend Shinzo,” Trump said as he escorted Aso into the building, referring to the late prime minister Shinzo Abe.

They discussed the importance of the US-Japan alliance for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and challenges posed by China and North Korea, Trump’s campaign said in a statement.

Trump also praised Japan’s increased defence spending, according to the statement.

Trump is in New York to attend a criminal trial in which prosecutors allege that he falsified business records to cover up a US$130,000 payment to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels, who says they had a sexual encounter 10 years earlier, so as not to hurt his chances in the 2016 election.

Aso was deputy prime minister under Abe, who formed a close bond with Trump during his presidency. A long-time power broker in Japanese politics, Aso has decades of experience shaping US-Japan ties.

Japan has been trying to connect with people close to Trump ahead of the November 5 US presidential election, reflecting concerns that if he wins, Trump could resurrect protectionist trade measures or take other steps that could hurt the Japanese economy or impact strong defence ties with the United States.

In a post on his Truth