US-Japan Summit Held Two Days Ahead of US-China Summit as Tokyo Wary of Big Deal

The Japanese government has announced that U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will hold a summit in New York on September 22 (local time).

According to NHK, the Nikkei, and other reports, Prime Minister Takaichi arrived in New York aboard a government aircraft on the afternoon of September 21 to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

This marks the first face-to-face meeting between Prime Minister Takaichi and President Trump in about three months, following their encounter at the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in France in June.

It has been half a year since their last official summit, which took place during Prime Minister Takaichi's visit to Washington, D.C., in March.

Ahead of the US-China summit scheduled for September 24, Prime Minister Takaichi is expected to convey Japan's stance, including concerns over China's military activities around the Taiwan Strait and economic security.

Holding the US-Japan summit just prior to the US-China summit is interpreted as a move driven by Tokyo's wariness that a U.S.-China "big deal" might be struck without sufficiently reflecting Japan's intentions.

Reports indicate that Japan is concerned President Trump, looking ahead to the midterm elections in November, might prioritize expanding imports of U.S. goods and partially accept Beijing's positions regarding Taiwan, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea.

Japanese media reported that with China-Japan relations showing no signs of improvement since Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks last November hinting at potential intervention in a Taiwan contingency, Tokyo intends to communicate its concerns to Beijing via the United States.

On the economic security front, as China tightens export controls on critical materials such as rare earths, raising concerns of a blow to Japanese industries and supply chains, Prime Minister Takaichi plans to appeal for stronger cooperation with the U.S.

The Nikkei reported that Prime Minister Takaichi is expected to employ a strategy of avoiding new demands from President Trump by highlighting the progress of projects tied to a massive U.S.-bound investment agreement worth up to 550 billion dollars (approx. 748 trillion won) and Japan's contributions to the U.S. economy.

The United States has been demanding increased defense spending from Asian allies including Japan, with some U.S. voices mentioning a level of 3.5 percent of GDP.

There is a possibility that Washington may also press Tokyo for additional defense burdens.

However, with Japan poised to revise its three key security documents within the year, analysts project that it will be difficult for Prime Minister Takaichi to present a specific hike margin during this summit.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.