US holds ‘unusual’ civil-military meeting in Tokyo ahead of Trump’s China trip
Senior American diplomats, administration officials and Indo-Pacific military commanders met in Tokyo earlier this month in what one source called an “unusual” gathering ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in November. People familiar with the meeting said it represented an evolution of a long-standing practice in which US ambassadors stationed across Asia and the Pacific…
Senior American diplomats, administration officials, and military commanders convened in Tokyo for an unusual meeting in early October. The event, described as an "inaugural Indo-Pacific ambassadorial summit" by US Ambassador to Japan George Glass, aimed to elevate coordination on regional priorities ahead of President Donald Trump's planned China visit in November.
The gathering included a mix of diplomatic, administrative, and military officials from across Asia and the Pacific, with the de facto American envoy to Taiwan, Raymond Greene, also attending. The sessions, held at the US naval base in Yokosuka and led by Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, focused on Washington's regional strategy and diplomatic messaging.
Discussions also addressed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and regional maritime and economic cooperation. While US envoy to India Sergio Gor was notably absent, Trump's upcoming visits to Manila, Japan, Australia, and India underscore the strategic importance of the meeting. The talks come amid unease among American allies over Trump's approach to China and his commitment to a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, with tensions persisting over Taiwan and South China Sea disputes.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
