Trump's daughter sits in on landmark Japan PM talks

Tokyo : Photos of US President-elect Donald Trump's landmark first talks with a foreign leader show his daughter Ivanka was present, underscoring the family's influence as he readies to take power.

In the meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the mogul's Trump Plaza residence onThursday, Ivanka -- a model-turned-business executive -- was seen seated as the group conversed in the opulent reception room.

Media were shut out of the gathering in Manhattan, but images released by the Japanese government also showed Ivanka and her husband, real estate developer and publisher Jared Kushner, standing and chatting with Abe.

Ivanka and Kushner, both 35, have emerged as key advisers to Trump, who shocked the world by beating Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election.

World leaders have scrambled to establish ties with Trump but Abe was the first to see him in person since a vote that has provoked anxiety over US foreign policy and Washington's commitment to security in Asia. 

Abe told reporters afterwards that the encounter convinced him the US president-elect was someone "in whom I can have great confidence".

"We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere," he said. "Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future."

Also seen standing in one of the photos, amidst the gilt and chandeliers of Trump's skyscraper, was former general Michael Flynn, who has reportedly been offered the post of national security adviser.

But the presence of Ivanka, in a black-and-white dress and high heels, drew attention in protocol-conscious Japan, particularly after the tabloid press reported Trump planned to appoint her as US ambassador to Tokyo.