Trump bids Japanese emperor farewell, tours US navy base

President Donald Trump bid farewell Tuesday to Japan's Emperor Naruhito and flew to a US naval base to wrap up a symbolism-laden state visit reaffirming Washington's clout in Asia in the face of rising Chinese power.

Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, became the first world leader to meet with newly enthroned Naruhito and Empress Masako on Monday -- an honour that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said underlined the two countries' deep economic and strategic ties.

There has been little substance in the visit, which started Saturday and included an Abe-Trump golf game, as well as the presentation by Trump of a huge trophy at a sumo tournament.

Tricky negotiations over Washington's insistence that Japan open markets to more US products or face steep auto tariffs have been all but set aside until after elections here in July.

But more than anything, Trump's presence in Japan and his hosts' energetic efforts to please him were meant to signal that, at a time of ever greater Chinese