Sanae Takaichi will meet 
Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, two days before Trump holds a summit with 
Xi Jinping in Washington. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said Trump would address the assembly and hold bilateral meetings with Takaichi and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham there.
What does Japan want from the meeting? Takaichi aims to set out Tokyo's views on China and reaffirm the strength of the Japan-US alliance. She is expected to raise concerns over the Taiwan Strait and Chinese export controls on rare earths and other key materials, CNA reported. Relations with Beijing have deteriorated since her November 2025 remarks in parliament on a "Taiwan contingency", and US sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane may also come up. In her general debate speech she is expected to address the Middle East and Japan's contributions to the international community.
Why is Tokyo wary? Japanese officials worry that Washington and Beijing could draw too close and leave Japan on the outside, and that a US-China agreement could affect Japan's security and economic policy, CNA reported. With US midterms due in November, some in the Japanese government fear Trump could put economic interests first and soften his stance toward China on issues such as Taiwan. In-depth talks could also expose the two sides' differences over the ICC, which Takaichi supports, and one Japanese foreign ministry official said a phone call would be better than meeting in person.
What else is on the US president's schedule? After also holding multilateral talks with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders in New York, Trump returns to the White House on the evening of September 22, CNA reported. He is due to greet Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at Joint Base Andrews on September 23, ahead of a Rose Garden military review, bilateral talks and a state dinner on September 24. US officials said artificial intelligence and the trade truce the two leaders reached in Busan last October, which expires in November, are on the agenda. A senior US official said Japan was an important ally and regional partner, and that it was crucial for the two allies' leaders to meet before Xi's visit.
Figures referenced: Sanae Takaichi, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping. — JudgeMarket.
