Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 22nd (local time) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, reaffirming Japan-U.S. joint responses to China's export controls and the strengthening of alliance deterrence.

Prime Minister Takaichi met with President Trump for about 35 minutes at the UN headquarters that day.

This marks the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in three months since the Group of 7 (G7) summit held in France last June, and the first official bilateral U.S.-Japan summit in six months since Prime Minister Takaichi's visit to Washington, D.C., last March.

The Japanese government has worked hard to push for the U.S.-Japan summit ahead of the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Trump scheduled for the 24th.

Analysts suggested that this was aimed at delivering Japan's position to the U.S. side before closer U.S.-China relations take shape, given that relations with China have remained strained following Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks hinting at intervention in a "contingency in Taiwan."

Kyodo News reported that the U.S. and Japanese leaders agreed during the talks to further strengthen cooperation in core mineral fields, including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and rare earths, with China's export controls in mind.

They also discussed the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including China and North Korea, and the U.S. shared the same stance on Japan's diplomatic policy of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP).

The news agency reported that the U.S. and Japanese leaders confirmed the necessity of jointly responding to North Korea's nuclear and missile issues and their determination toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea, with President Trump expressing his intent to fully support the immediate resolution of the abductions of Japanese citizens.

It was also reported that Prime Minister Takaichi conveyed Japan's stance of emphasizing the rule of law regarding the U.S. stepping up pressure on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is headed by a Japanese national.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Takaichi showed familiarity by referring to President Trump by his first name, "Donald," rather than his surname, much like in previous U.S.-Japan summits.

She emphasized, "I would like to express my gratitude once again for Donald's very strong commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance. Holding a summit at a time when the security environment, including in Asia, is extremely grave will demonstrate the solidity of the U.S.-Japan alliance to the entire world."

President Trump also praised her, saying, "She is my friend. She will go down in history as one of the great prime ministers."

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki, who attended the meeting, told the press corps, "It is very significant that we reaffirmed the unshakable U.S.-Japan alliance through substantive discussions at a time when the U.S.-China summit is scheduled two days later."

He noted that the U.S. side told them it had arranged a strictly limited bilateral meeting, mentioning that the realization of this bilateral meeting is proof of the personal bond between Prime Minister Takaichi and President Trump.

Attending the U.S.-Japan summit from the Japanese side were Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ozaki, National Security Secretariat Secretary-General Keiichi Ichikawa, and Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Shigeo Yamada.

Present from the U.S. side were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

(Photo: Yonhap News)