Shinzo Abe, the Japanese Prime Minister, said his meeting with Donald Trump on Thursday - the first by a foreign leader - convinced him the US president-elect was someone "in whom I can have great confidence".

Mr Abe met with Mr Trump in New York, where the incoming president is working on setting up an administration after his surprise election victory last week that has injected new uncertainty into old US alliances.

"We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere," Mr Abe told reporters after their meeting, which was also attended by Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner.