Japan Prime Minister has 'great confidence' in Donald Trump after meeting

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he has "great confidence" in US President-elect Donald Trump and he believes they can build a relationship of trust.

Abe, the first foreign leader to meet the President-elect, said he had come away from their 90-minute meeting confident that he could trust Trump, despite the property billionaire’s campaign criticism of Japan’s contribution to bilateral security ties.

While neither side revealed details of the discussions, Abe told reporters at Trump Tower in Manhattan: “We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time, and in a very warm atmosphere.

“I will not go into details or specifics about today’s discussions with President-elect Trump, but I do believe that without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future.”

Some of Trump's campaign rhetoric cast doubt over long-standing US alliances, including with Japan.

The US and Japan have been key allies since the end of World War Two, when the US helped Japan rebuild its economy.

The President-elect has vowed to scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which Abe strenuously supports as a means of countering China's growing economic strength.

The deal was approved by the Japanese parliament, despite the likelihood that it would be cancelled when Trump takes office.

Trump has also said Japan needs to pay more to maintain US troops on its soil, and has floated the idea that Japan and South Korea should develop their own nuclear weapons to counter the threat from North Korean missiles.