US President Donald Trump will visit Japan from October 27 to 29 for an official meeting with newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese foreign ministry announced Wednesday. During the three-day visit, Trump will make a state call on Emperor Naruhito and hold summit talks with Takaichi in Tokyo to reinforce the Japan-US alliance amid growing regional security and trade challenges.
Trump confirmed the plan Monday, telling reporters at the White House that his Asia tour will include stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. “I’ll be in Malaysia, I’ll be in Japan, I’ll be in a couple of others. We’ll be sort of doing a little bit of a tour,” he said, The Japan Times reported.
The US president is also expected to meet China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea.
According to two Japanese government sources cited by Reuters, Takaichi’s administration is preparing a package of US goods purchases and investment projects to present to Trump during the summit. The plan includes buying Ford F-150 pickup trucks, more American soybeans, and additional US liquefied natural gas.
The meeting will be Takaichi’s first major diplomatic test since taking office last week. “The alliance with the United States is the cornerstone of Japan’s foreign and security policy,” she said at her inaugural press conference. Her government, having a parliamentary minority, is seeking to strengthen ties with Washington while managing internal political pressure.
Takaichi will not commit to new defense spending targets at the meeting, according to officials. But she plans to accelerate Japan’s military build-up beyond the 2% of GDP goal set for 2027. She also instructed defense officials to review three key 2022 national security documents guiding Japan’s military strategy.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan’s focus is on the quality of its defense capabilities. “It’s not about the amount or the ratio to GDP. What matters is the substance of our defense capabilities,” he said.
Trump’s trip is his first visit to Japan since his re-election. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, security cooperation, and regional stability before joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia and the APEC meeting in South Korea.
The Japanese government said Trump’s visit offers an opportunity “to further strengthen the Japan-US Alliance.” The White House has not yet issued an official statement on the trip.
AloJapan.com