Takaichi to stress Japanese investment in US in talks with Trump

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan on Monday in New York, just prior to a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for this week. Experts suggest that U.S. allies are concerned that Trump might offer concessions to Xi, such as on Taiwan and trade, in exchange for an economic deal with Beijing.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed enthusiasm about meeting Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, where they will all be speaking. The upcoming White House meeting between Trump and Xi on Thursday will also be a focus for the allies, who will closely examine any trade announcements for potential impacts on their competitiveness compared to China.

Rubio and his counterparts Cho Hyun of South Korea and Toshimitsu Motegi of Japan took photos together before the meeting, but refrained from answering any questions from the press.