ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had a “great talk” with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and expressed confidence that she would be a great leader.

“We have a great relationship, the new prime minister and myself,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “She’s very smart, she’s very strong, and she’s going to be a great leader.”

Takaichi on Tuesday said Trump told her “call me anytime” during their first phone call since her off-the-cuff remark that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japanese military action, which caused a diplomatic furor with China.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Tom Hogue)

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