According to a Japanese government source revealed on Wednesday (December 24th), Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai is seeking to visit the United States in late March and hold a meeting with President Trump, in order to reaffirm the Japan-US alliance amid tension in relations with Beijing. Japan has been in contact with the US side, trying to determine the possibility of Takai’s visit to the US.
The above information was reported by Kyodo News Agency. The source stated that Takai’s visit may be postponed until April or later, depending on the situation with the US.
This will be the first time Sanae Takai visits the US as the Prime Minister of Japan, giving her the opportunity to exchange views with President Trump and coordinate positions before Trump’s planned visit to China in April.
The source mentioned that if Takai and Trump hold another summit, Japan is expected to clarify its position on the Chinese Communist Party during the meeting, and seek understanding from the US as Sino-Japanese relations deteriorate. Japan sees the CCP becoming increasingly arbitrary.
President Trump may urge Tokyo to provide detailed information on Japan’s promised $550 billion US investment plan. The two sides may also discuss Takai’s plan to increase Japan’s defense spending.
Since Sanae Takai’s remarks on “Taiwan’s situation” in November at the parliament, Sino-Japanese relations have continued to deteriorate. Takai’s speech implied that an attack by the CCP on Taiwan could pose a survival threat to Japan and could provoke a response from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. This statement has angered the CCP, leading to a series of economic retaliation measures, including warnings to Chinese tourists not to go to Japan, halting the resumption of imports of Japanese seafood, and suspending approval of new Japanese films. The CCP has repeatedly demanded Takai retract her remarks, but she has refused to do so.