Japanese Prime Minister 
Sanae Takaichi met 
Donald Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, discussing China two days before Trump hosts 
Xi Jinping in Washington. The closed-door talks lasted 35 minutes, the Japan Times reported, and were the pair's first formal summit since Takaichi visited Washington in March. They covered economic security and cooperation on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.
What did the leaders say? "With the security environment becoming increasingly severe, including in Asia, the fact that Donald and I are holding talks here at U.N. headquarters today demonstrates the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance to the world," Takaichi said. Trump opened by calling her "tough and smart," said he had been following her approval ratings and that she would go down in history as an excellent Japanese prime minister, CNA reported, citing Japan's FNN. She also briefed him on her cabinet reshuffle, in which 10 of 18 ministers changed, stressing that Washington's main counterparts had kept their posts.
What did Tokyo want from the meeting? Before the trip, a senior official in the prime minister's office said Takaichi would urge Trump not to readily give ground to China on Taiwan. Trump is seeking economic gains from the Xi summit ahead of November's midterm elections. She also planned to stress Japan's pledged $550 billion in U.S. investment and the American jobs it creates, aiming to limit U.S. demands that Japan shoulder more of the burden, CNA reported, citing the Nikkei. Experts quoted in a South China Morning Post analysis carried by the Korea Times expected Beijing's rare earth export controls to feature; China imposed dual-use export curbs on Japan after Takaichi said last November that an attack on Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan.
How did the trip unfold? Typhoon Dujuan pushed Takaichi's departure from Tokyo's Haneda Airport back four hours on Monday, to 11 p.m., though a government source said her U.S. schedule was unchanged. Her government jet landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport late Monday night, the Japan Times reported. In her first address to the General Assembly's general debate, she plans to explain that Japan is drawing up an economic and energy cooperation plan for Gulf countries.
What comes next? Xi's three-day state visit to Washington runs from Wednesday to Friday, the Korea Times reported, with the summit on Thursday. Trump, who CNA reported is expected to greet Xi at the airport in person, will receive him with state-guest honours.
Figures referenced: Sanae Takaichi, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping. — JudgeMarket.
