Japan PM Takaichi, Trump agree to arrange summit in US in spring

TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she and US President Donald Trump agreed in phone talks on Jan 2 to arrange their summit meeting in the United States in the spring.

“We exchanged views primarily on the Indo-Pacific region and affirmed close Japan-US cooperation under the current global situation,” Ms Takaichi told reporters, without elaborating.

Ms Takaichi had earlier said she was exploring another summit with Mr Trump in early 2026, apparently seeking to exchange views on China before the US leader’s

scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping

in April.

In their phone talks, they also reaffirmed cooperation with South Korea and other allies in promoting a free and open and Indo-Pacific, she said.

Ms Takaichi, who

met with Mr Trump

for the first time when he visited Japan last October, likely hopes to coordinate positions with him on China after her remarks in early November on a Taiwan contingency angered Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island part of its territory.

In their earlier phone talks held in late November, Mr Trump had asked Ms Takaichi to avoid escalating the row with China, a major US trading partner, and “manage” the relationship without seeking the retraction of her Taiwan remarks, a Japanese government source has said.

Ms Takaichi said she and Mr Trump also agreed to deepen collaboration in security and economic areas. KYODO NEWS