US and Japan have vowed to work together to strengthen their relationship in defence, strategic ties and agreed to make bilateral trade more fair. US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said this in a joint statement after talks at the White House. T<br/><br/>he two leaders announced a three-pronged approach of mutually-reinforcing fiscal, monetary, and structural policies to strengthen domestic and global economic demand. They discussed opportunities and challenges facing each of their economies and the need to promote inclusive growth and prosperity in their countries, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world. The two leaders affirmed the commitment of the US and Japan to the realignment of US forces in Japan, to ensure the long-term, sustainable presence of US forces.<br/><br/>The US army maintains a significant presence on the island of Okinawa and elsewhere in Japan, a key security lynchpin in the vast region. Japan is looking for guarantees of a US military commitment to maintain stability in the region, as China continues its ascent as a military superpower while North Korea develops its nuclear programme despite UN sanctions.