WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, fresh off patching up ties with China, reassured Japan’s leader Friday the U.S. will defend its close ally. Together, the pronouncements illustrated a shift toward a more mainstream U.S. policy toward Asia.

Welcoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the White House with a hug, Trump said he wants to bring the post-World War II alliance with Japan “even closer.” While such calls are ritual after these types of meetings, from Trump they’re sure to calm anxieties he has stoked by demanding America’s partners pay more for their own defense.

Abe, a nationalist adept at forging relationships with strongmen overseas, was the only world leader to meet Trump before his inauguration.