Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan and U.S. President Donald Trump engaged in a series of discussions surrounding the U.S.-China summit held on September 24, focusing on reinforcing their bilateral alliance amid rising regional security concerns. Their interactions included a confidential meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York on September 22 and a subsequent 20-minute phone call on September 26.

During the in-person meeting, Takaichi emphasized the importance of demonstrating a united front between Japan and the United States in response to an increasingly severe security environment, citing tensions with China in the East and South China Seas. She expressed concern that any concessions by the U.S. in its dealings with China could undermine Washington’s security commitments in the Asia-Pacific region. The discussion, which was held behind closed doors without media presence, addressed a broad range of topics including economic security measures such as export controls on critical minerals, as well as issues related to Taiwan. Officials noted that this engagement was meant to set the groundwork ahead of the U.S.-China summit and to prepare for potential challenges posed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who had previously criticized Takaichi following the May summit between Trump and Xi.

The meeting highlighted the strong personal rapport between Takaichi and Trump, with sources indicating that Trump showed keen interest in maintaining robust bilateral ties despite the Trump administration’s growing international isolation. However, a clear divergence emerged between the two leaders regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC). Trump openly rejected the ICC during his U.N. General Assembly speech, criticizing it as an “evil group,” and the U.S. has placed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane, causing concern in Japan given its traditional diplomatic support for the rule of law. While Takaichi raised the issue during their talks and reaffirmed Japan’s support for the ICC in her own U.N. speech, she carefully calibrated her comments to avoid jeopardizing relations with the U.S.

Following the summit, the two leaders continued their dialogue by phone, with Trump briefing Takaichi on his discussions with Xi Jinping. They exchanged views on China’s regional behavior and reiterated their commitment to bilateral cooperation. Takaichi underscored that Japan and the United States share a deep alliance built on mutual trust and pledged to work together to promote regional and global peace and stability. The official U.S. Fact Sheet on the summit referenced historical ties between the two countries during World War II but did not mention Taiwan or Japan-China relations explicitly. Takaichi reportedly inquired whether these sensitive topics were addressed during the meeting, reflecting ongoing Japanese concerns about China’s regional ambitions.

Overall, these exchanges reflected Japan’s efforts to maintain close coordination with the United States on a wide array of strategic and diplomatic issues in the lead-up to and aftermath of a pivotal U.S.-China summit, amid an evolving geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.