After months of tariff threats and brow-beating on defense spending, American allies in Asia had ample reason to be wary of President Donald Trump. But he ended up using a three-nation tour of the region to hammer home a clear message: The U.S. still has your back.

Trump said the U.S. was “wedded” to South Korea, addressed some of its concerns about a $350 billion investment pledge and approved its request for nuclear-powered submarines. He told Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that she can ask him for help with “anything.” And he avoided watering down the U.S. commitment to Taiwan in a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, while his defense chief, Pete Hegseth, voiced concerns about Beijing’s naval activities around the island democracy. ×

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