Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has indicated that Nippon Steel's planned buyout of US Steel will be an investment rather than a simple takeover.

Ishiba spoke about his first summit with US President Donald Trump on an NHK debate program on Sunday.

Ishiba said he needs to form a good relationship with Trump so the president is willing to talk to him again. He said the summit in Washington went well thanks to the efforts made by many people.

In January, then-President Joe Biden issued an order to block the Japanese steelmaker's bid, citing national security concerns. Trump repeatedly showed his opposition to the plan during his presidential campaign.

Ishiba said it's crucial for Trump that US Steel will remain an American company that makes high-quality products.

On Trump's intention of making another tariff announcement as early as this week, Ishiba said a style of one side exploiting and excluding another would not last long.

He questioned if Japan and the United States have any dispute that would lead to higher tariffs, adding that they did not discuss tariffs on Japanese automobiles.

The prime minister also disclosed that Trump did not request a further increase of Japan's defense spending.