Japan PM says Trump briefed her in detail after Xi Jinping meeting

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on May 15 that US President Donald Trump informed her in “great detail” by phone about his recent meeting in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Takaichi told reporters following her call with Trump—who has just concluded a three-day visit to China—that she is “deeply grateful” for the way he referenced Japan, a key US ally, during his talks with Xi, though she did not provide further details, Caliber.Az reprots, citing foreign media.

Japanese PM added that she and Trump discussed “various challenges regarding China,” including security and economic issues, and agreed to maintain close communication in responding to developments in the Indo-Pacific region.

“With President Trump, I affirmed the unwavering Japan-U.S. alliance,” Takaichi said at her office.

Trump has stated that he and Xi reached some “fantastic trade deals,” without offering specifics, and that they share “very similar” views on the need to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Takaichi and Trump last met in Washington in March, where they “opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, including by force or coercion,” according to the White House, in what was seen as an indirect reference to China’s expanding economic and military influence.

Relations between Japan and China have remained strained since Takaichi, known for her hawkish security stance, angered Beijing with remarks in parliament in November, in which she described a potential Taiwan contingency as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan that could prompt action by the Self-Defence Forces in support of the United States.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov