The White House said on Friday that the two leaders discussed efforts to boost Japan's defences following a year of increasing tension on the Korean peninsula, the Express reported.

In a telephone call earlier on Friday, Mr Trump and Mr Abe "agreed on the need to intensify the international maximum pressure campaign to denuclearise North Korea."

The White House said: "President Donald Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. 

"President Trump thanked Prime Minister Abe for Japan's efforts to maintain international pressure on North Korea, including recent efforts to clamp down on North Korea's attempts to circumvent sanctions in the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula. 

"Both leaders agreed on the need to intensify the international maximum pressure campaign to denuclearise North Korea. 

"The two leaders discussed the pending relocation of a United States Marine base on Okinawa and discussed ways to strengthen Japan's defence capabilities including an expanded missile defence system."

Last year North Korea launched several missile tests directly over Japan in a major show of force - something experts warned could have gone catastrophically wrong.