Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Donald Trump was a trustworthy leader in comments after his first meeting with the US president-elect, whose statements on trade and security have sparked concern in Japan.

Abe told reporters in New York on Thursday night that he had frank discussions in a “warm atmosphere” at Trump Tower. He said he explained his views on a range of issues, but declined to comment on the substance of the talks in a meeting that lasted more than an hour. Abe gave Trump a golf club, and received a golf shirt from the real-estate mogul.

“He made time for me, even though he is busy with personnel matters,” Abe said after the meeting. “I am convinced that President-elect Trump is a leader we can trust.” The pair agreed to meet again for broader and deeper talks when their schedules allow, he said.

On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to drop a Pacific trade deal and accused Japan of manipulating its currency. The president-elect has also stirred unease in Tokyo by threatening to pull US troops out of the country unless it pays more for their upkeep, and has suggested Japan might have to develop its own nuclear weapons. The US is Japan’s second-largest trading partner behind China, with two-way commerce reaching almost $200 billion last year. Japanese businesses provide upward of 800,000 jobs in America.

Military costs

Japan, whose own military is restricted by a pacifist constitution drafted by the US after World War II, relies heavily on America’s troops and nuclear weapons for deterrence against growing threats from North Korea and an increasingly powerful China. About 50,000 US military personnel are stationed in Japan.

On a visit to Tokyo last month, Trump Security Adviser Michael Flynn said Japan and the US should discuss the cost-sharing arrangement for American troops in Japan. Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said last week that the country makes sufficient contributions to the upkeep of US forces in Japan.

Abe had sought to turn on the charm ahead of the appointment, referring to Trump’s “extraordinary talents” in a congratulatory message, and telling reporters as he left Tokyo that it was a “tremendous honor” to be holding talks with Trump ahead of other world leaders.