U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department sought on Wednesday to reassure Japan that U.S.-Japanese ties are a cornerstone of the U.S. presence in Asia and a core foreign policy interest to the United States.

“My message would be one of reassurance to the Japanese people that relationship is of ... core foreign policy interest to the United States,” department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters when asked how Donald Trump’s election might affect ties. “That relationship is going to remain, regardless of the administration, a cornerstone for the United States.”