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.

President Donald Trump is meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a high-stakes visit for a key ally that depends on the United States for security and trade. At the top of the agenda is military cooperation to deter threats,