Trump briefs Takaichi on Xi summit as Japan seeks clarity on US-China deal
Donald Trump phoned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday to brief her in detail on his summit with Xi Jinping, as Tokyo seeks clarity on the wartime-allies rhetoric and the reported tariff deal agreed in Washington.
US President Donald Trump phoned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday and gave her a detailed briefing on his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Takaichi said, as Tokyo seeks clarity on the wartime-allies rhetoric and the deal struck in Washington on Thursday.
In a social media post on Saturday, Takaichi said Trump provided “detailed explanations” about the US-China summit during the call, which began at 9pm Tokyo time. The two leaders exchanged views on issues surrounding China, including the economy and security, and confirmed Japan-US collaboration, according to the South China Morning Post. Jiji Press reported the call lasted about 20 minutes.
The call was the leaders’ second contact in a week: Takaichi met Trump in person on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, after moving her General Assembly address up by two days to secure a 35-minute meeting. “Two exchanges with the US leader within one week truly demonstrates the strength of the Japan-US alliance,” her post read.
The briefing followed Trump’s nostalgic invocation of the World War II alliance with China during Xi’s first state visit to Washington in over a decade. Trump welcomed Xi on Thursday by calling China an ally in the war, and Xi echoed the framing at the state dinner, saying the two countries “stood shoulder to shoulder in the fight against Japanese militarist aggression” — remarks that, the Post reports, sent shock waves through Tokyo. Joint statements after the visit recalled that “the United States and China were allies in World War II and fought side by side to win the war”.
On Friday, Takaichi pointedly declined to comment on the summit, calling it “a matter between third countries”, but stressed that Japan and the United States were “allies bound by very strong ties”. A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said the summit outcome was “within the expected range”, according to the Korea Herald.
The summit is reported to have produced a reciprocal tariff reduction, a trade council and further talks on artificial intelligence. Two more US-China summits are expected before the end of the year.
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