Japan’s hopes for a Trump stop in Tokyo before Beijing fall through

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks while visiting Washington in March. Tokyo had scheduled the trip with the timing of the U.S.-China leaders summit, then planned for April, in mind. © Reuters

TOKYO — Plans within the Japanese government to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to Japan just ahead of his visit to Beijing — which would have enabled Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to share Tokyo’s position on China — have failed to bear fruit, with the Iran conflict undermining those diplomatic efforts.