Trump met Japan’s new prime minister just before his planned summit with Xi Jinping.
Why it matters: The meeting gives an early read on how Washington wants to align with Tokyo before talks with Beijing. That matters for markets, trade policy, defense coordination and Asia supply chains.
- Trump met Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sept. 22 in New York during UNGA week.
- Both governments said the bilateral was timed just before Trump’s planned summit with Xi Jinping.
- The leaders discussed China-related issues, including economic security, and agreed to coordinate closely.
- Takaichi said cooperation on AI, semiconductors and critical minerals is steadily advancing.
President Donald Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22, a bilateral both sides said came just before Trump’s planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The White House posted a video page confirming the meeting took place during UNGA week in New York. White House video page
Japan’s prime minister’s office said the two leaders discussed China-related issues, including economic security, and agreed Japan and the United States would coordinate closely ahead of the U.S.-China summit. The office said the meeting lasted about 35 minutes. Prime Minister's Office summary
Trump called Takaichi a "very highly respected prime minister of Japan" and said Japan was doing very well economically. Takaichi said the meeting showed the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance and stressed the severe security environment in Asia. Transcript
Takaichi also said Japan’s bilateral economic security cooperation in areas such as AI, semiconductors and critical minerals has been steadily advancing. AP framed the meeting as significant because it came immediately before Xi’s arrival and amid deep U.S.-China differences, with Japan looking to reinforce its position with Washington. AP report
By the numbers
- 35 minutes - The reported length of the Trump-Takaichi bilateral, according to Japan’s prime minister’s office.
- 10 of 18 ministers - Takaichi said she replaced this many Japanese cabinet members in a recent reshuffle.
- Sept. 22, 2026 - The date of the meeting in New York during UNGA week.
Yes, but: The dossier does not include the final Trump-Xi agenda or any outcome from that meeting, so this is a setup story rather than a read on policy changes.
What's next: Trump’s planned summit with Xi Jinping remains the next major diplomatic test in this sequence.