TOKYO (REUTERS) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday (April 9) praised the "strong commitment" of President Donald Trump to global and allied security after his second call with the United States leader in four days.

The two agreed that the United States, Japan and South Korea will remain in close contact on North Korea, and they agreed to closely watch China's response to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear development, Abe told reporters at his official residence.

In a call on Thursday, a day after North Korea's latest missile test, Abe said he and Trump had agreed the ballistic missile launch was "a dangerous provocation and a serious threat".

Abe on Friday voiced support for air strikes Trump ordered against Syria after Damascus deployed deadly chemical weapons on a rebel-held area earlier in the week.