Japan and the United States pledge joint action on China after Trump-Xi summit

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters that a phone conversation with President Donald Trump resulted in an agreement to coordinate on several China-related topics, notably economic security. She said Trump detailed his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which took place in Washington earlier in the week. This call marks the second dialogue between the two leaders this week, following a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

At the Trump-Xi summit, Xi recalled the World War II alliance with the United States, a point Trump emphasized by calling the two nations allies. Takaichi stressed that Japan and the United States now share “the highest mutual trust” and reiterated their joint dedication to peace and stability in the region and globally. The remarks come amid strained Sino-Japanese relations after Takaichi’s earlier comments on a possible Japanese response to any attack on Taiwan.