Potential U.S. presidential candidate on Monday met with Japanese Prime Minister and lauded bilateral ties, especially the idea of a "strong Japan".

Iran PressAsia: The trip, officially part of a four-country trade mission, comes as the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, seeks to burnish foreign policy credentials ahead of an official announcement that he will run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, expected later this year.

"We really appreciate what a great ally Japan has been to the U.S. for many, many decades," DeSantis told Fumio Kishida at the start of their meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo.

DeSantis, who is set to meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi later on Monday, will head to South Korea, Israel and Britain after leaving Japan, Reuters reported.

224

Read More:

Japan approves biggest military buildup since WWII

Biden, Kishida hold virtual talk over China and North Korea