Japan's Takaichi meets with Trump ahead of U.S.-China summit

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday in New York to discuss China and align policies in shared areas of interest such as investments, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence. Takaichi informed Trump that the security situation in Asia and other regions was growing more intense, and she emphasized the importance of demonstrating the strength of their alliance through additional meetings.

Takaichi and Trump noted that their bilateral economic security cooperation in AI, semiconductors, and critical minerals had been steadily progressing under their leadership. The nearly 40-minute meeting took place ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival in Washington for a three-day state visit. Trump commended Takaichi, praising her as a strong leader and a good friend.

This meeting marked their first since March, when Takaichi visited the U.S. previously. Since Takaichi suggested in November that an attack on Taiwan might be considered an existential threat to her country, China has retaliated with diplomatic and economic measures, including restrictions on rare earth exports. The ongoing tensions have prompted concerns in the U.S. about potential disruptions to supply chains.

With trade and AI expected to be key topics at the Trump-Xi summit on Thursday, Takaichi used this meeting with Trump to address China's export controls and Japan's readiness to cooperate on emerging technologies with Washington.