Takaichi to meet Trump ahead of high-stakes Trump-Xi summit

Japan prime minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to meet President Donald Trump next week ahead of a high-stakes US-China summit scheduled for September 24.

Takaichi will travel to New York for the UN General Assembly and on its sideline, both leaders are expected to hold a meeting on coming Tuesday. The upcoming meeting marks at least the fourth in-person summit between Prime Minister Takaichi and U.S. President Trump since she took office in October 2025.

According to the local media, in this meeting the Japanese PM will seek to coordinate its position with Washington on China before Trump meets Xi on Thursday in the US.

The talks would be aimed at regional tensions, security and Taiwan. When it comes to Tokyo-Beijing relations, both countries are locked in a diplomatic rift over the Taiwan issue.

The bilateral friction escalated following Takaich’s remarks, stating a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a survival-threatening situation for Japan which allowed the country to exercise collective self-defense. China condemned these remarks

Moreover, trade relations are on a downward trajectory as Beijing imposed export controls targeting Japanese entities, including restrictions on dual-use goods and certain critical materials, particularly where they could contribute to Japan's military capabilities.