President Donald Trump treated his time in Japan on Tuesday as a victory lap — befriending the new Japanese prime minister, taking her with him as he spoke to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier and unveiling several major energy and technology projects in America to be funded by Japan.

Sanae Takaichi, who became the country’s first female prime minister only days ago, solidified her relationship with Trump while defending her country’s economic interests. She talked baseball and stationed a Ford F-150 truck outside their meeting.

By the end of the day, Trump — by his administration’s count — came close to nailing down the goal of $550 billion in Japanese investment as part of a trade framework. At a dinner for business leaders in Tokyo, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced up to $490 billion in commitments, including $100 billion each for nuclear projects involving Westinghouse and GE Vernova.

“You’re great business people,” Trump told the gathered executives before the dinner. “Our country will not let you down.”

It was not immediately clear how the investments would operate and how they compared with previous plans, but Trump declared a win.

The two leaders also discussed efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Takaichi would be nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump has often complained that Japan doesn’t buy American vehicles, which are often too wide to be practical on narrow Japanese streets. But the Japanese government is considering buying a fleet of Ford trucks for road and infrastructure inspection.

Both leaders signed the implementation of an agreement for the “golden age” of their nations’ alliance, a short affirmation of a framework under which the U.S. will tax goods imported from Japan at 15% while Japan creates a $550 billion fund of investments in the U.S.

Trump and Takaichi also signed an agreement to cooperate on critical minerals and rare earths.

Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday, meeting the emperor in a ceremonial visit after a brief trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Trump was scheduled to leave Japan today for South Korea, which is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Trump plans to meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

On Thursday, Trump is expected to cap off his Asia trip with a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. There were signs that tensions between the U.S. and China were cooling off before the planned meeting in South Korea.

Top negotiators from each country said a trade deal was coming together, which could prevent a potentially damaging confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.

China signs pact

China signed an expanded version of a free trade agreement Tuesday with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with Premier Li Qiang pitching expanded economic ties with Beijing as an alternative to the protectionist policies of Trump.

Li Qiang told an ASEAN-China summit meeting after the signing that closer cooperation could help overcome global economic uncertainties. He said “pursuing confrontation instead of solidarity brings no benefit” in the face of economic coercion and bullying, in a swipe at the U.S.

“Unity is strength,” he said, citing remarks by Xi made during a Southeast Asia visit earlier this year.

His remarks were met with skepticism by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose country has clashed with China over competing claims in the South China Sea, as have other ASEAN nations.

Marcos welcomed the expanded trade pact, but stressed that “this cooperation cannot exist alongside coercion.”

The signing of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 came on the final day of the annual ASEAN summit and related meetings and was witnessed by Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is serving as ASEAN chair this year.

It’s the third revision of the long-standing agreement, which was signed in 2002, and came into force in 2010. The free-trade area covers a combined market of more than 2 billion people and lowers tariffs on goods and boosting flows of services and investment.

Two-way trade has surged from $235.5 billion in 2010 to nearly $1 trillion last year. ASEAN and China are each other’s top trading partners.

Li stressed “mutual reliance” between China and ASEAN members Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, calling them “good neighbors and good brothers that are close in geography, culture and sentiment.”

“Unilateralism and protectionism have seriously impacted the global economic and trade order, while external forces are increasing their interference in the region — many countries have been unreasonably subjected to high tariffs,” he said. “By relying on each other and coordinating our actions, we can safeguard our legitimate rights and interests.”

Southeast Asian political analyst Bridget Welsh said the upgraded pact would benefit both sides, especially in the areas of supply chains and sustainability.

“It also speaks to a global reality that non-U.S. countries are coming together to strengthen trade relationships for their prosperity as a recoupling with the U.S. is ongoing,” she said,

The prospect of a deepening trade conflict between China and the U.S. has risked weakening economic growth worldwide.

Trump at the ASEAN summit on Sunday announced new economic details with Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, though all countries are still subject to new tariffs he has brought in.

Anwar stressed at the ASEAN meeting with China that the bloc seeks friendly relations with all countries.

“The day before we were with President Donald Trump of the United States of America, and today we are back with China,” he said. “And that reflects ASEAN centrality ... This is what we consider steady engagement that fosters trust that enables us to work through challenges together.”

Officials said the ASEAN-China free trade agreement is expected to broaden integration across the region by covering new areas such as digital trade, the green economy, sustainability and support for small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the majority of ASEAN businesses. The agreement is designed to make trade benefits more accessible, improve market entry for smaller players, streamline non-tariff procedures and lower regulatory barriers.