Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump coordinated their positions on China at a meeting in New York. The conversation took place on September 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and lasted about 35 minutes — two days before Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.
Takaichi and Trump discussed issues related to economic security and relations with China. Among the areas mentioned were semiconductors, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. The Japanese government said the two agreed that Tokyo and Washington would continue close coordination on China.
The planned phone call took place as a meeting
Initially, Japanese media reported that the Tokyo government wanted to arrange a phone call between Takaichi and Trump to get more information about his intentions towards Beijing. Instead of a phone call, the two leaders held a face-to-face meeting in New York.
“Japan considers it important that US-China relations contribute to the stability of the international community, including Japan“, Takaichi said after the meeting. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, for his part, said that Tokyo does not comment on contacts between third parties, but is closely monitoring the development of relations between Washington and Beijing.
Historical messages cause concern in Tokyo
On September 24, Trump and Xi Jinping spoke in Washington. During the state dinner, the American president recalled that the United States and China were allies in World War II. The Chinese leader emphasized the common fight against Japanese militarism.
Kihara said that the Japanese government was not in a position to comment on the statements between the United States and China. He stressed that after World War II, Japan and the United States achieved reconciliation, deepened their relations, and today are close allies based on mutual trust.
Tensions with China remain
The meeting between Takaichi and Trump took place against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between Japan and China. Tensions intensified after the Japanese Prime Minister's statement in parliament in November 2025 that under a certain scenario, a situation could arise around Taiwan that threatened Japan's survival and allowed it to exercise the right to collective self-defense.
Beijing reacted sharply and defined the words as interference in its internal affairs. The Japanese side feared that in negotiations with Trump, the Chinese leader could receive concessions that did not take into account Tokyo's interests. The meeting in New York showed Japan's desire to maintain direct access to the US administration and participate in coordination on security and economic issues in Asia.
Sources: NHK, Japan Times