TOKYO, June 3. /TASS/. The Japanese government is considering working with the US on creating the Golden Dome missile defense shield that President Donald Trump previously talked about, the Nikkei newspaper reported.

According to its information, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba brought up the topic during a telephone conversation with Trump in May. As expected, the cooperation may involve researching cutting-edge interception technologies and developing relevant equipment, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, which could be used to detect and monitor missiles.

Nikkei pointed out that Japan’s participation in the project may serve as Tokyo’s "trump card" in its talks with the US on tariffs because defense cooperation is one of the issues discussed during those talks. Thus, according to the newspaper, Japan, as a US ally, may demonstrate its readiness to contribute to the country's security and persuade Trump to make concessions.

The newspaper also said that strengthening the US’ defense missile systems would "contribute to security in Eastern Asia," as Japan is "under threat there," just like the US. Nikkei listed China and Russia as potential threats because they are developing hypersonic missiles that can move with unpredictable flight paths. North Korea is also considered a threat because it has repeatedly tested intercontinental ballistic missiles.

On May 20, US President Donald Trump announced his country's strategy regarding how its Golden Dome missile defense shield project would move forward. The administration plans to allocate approximately 175 billion dollars for the project. According to Trump, construction will take a little under three years.