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President Donald Trump invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a telephone telephone connected Friday (January 2, 2026) to sojourn the United States this year, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, successful what would beryllium the ultraconservative leader's archetypal travel to the U.S. since taking bureau successful October.
The White House has yet to corroborate the telephone and the invitation. It comes arsenic ties betwixt Japan and China person been strained, ramping up tensions successful the region. The U.S., a adjacent state of Japan, is seeking to fortify its ties with Tokyo but besides stabilise its narration with Beijing up of a apt travel by Mr. Trump to China successful April.
Beijing staged two-day subject exercises successful the waters disconnected Taiwan this week. Ms. Takaichi, Japan's archetypal pistillate Prime Minister, infuriated China precocious past twelvemonth erstwhile she said Chinese subject enactment against Taiwan could beryllium grounds for a Japanese subject response, breaking distant from erstwhile Japanese leaders' strategical ambiguity connected the highly delicate matter.
In a connection connected Friday (January 2, 2026), the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Ms. Takaichi and Mr. Trump agreed to coordinate for the sojourn to hap this spring. Kyodo News, Japan's quality agency, suggested that Ms. Takaichi's travel could coincide with the yearly cherry blossom festival successful Washington.
The Foreign Ministry said the 2 leaders affirmed that they would “carve retired a caller section successful the past of the Japan-U.S. alliance” successful a twelvemonth erstwhile the U.S. celebrates the 250th day of its founding and that they would “further deepen the affable relations” betwixt the 2 nations, including economical and information cooperation.
Ms. Takaichi and Ms. Trump besides agreed connected their committedness to promoting practice among like-minded partners, including the Japan-U.S.-South Korea partnership, and to a escaped and unfastened Indo-Pacific, the Foreign Ministry connection said.
The 2 exchanged views “mainly connected the Indo-Pacific region," the Ministry said, but it did not supply details, including whether the 2 discussed caller actions by Beijing successful the region.
China's subject drills disconnected Taiwan besides came aft the Trump medication announced a bundle of arms income to Taiwan valued astatine much than $11 billion. If approved by Congress, it would correspond the largest specified assistance to the land ever — a determination criticised sharply by China.
Beijing claims sovereignty implicit the self-governed land and vows to prehend it — by unit if necessary. The U.S. is obligated by home instrumentality to supply Taiwan with capable hardware to deter immoderate onslaught from the mainland.
Mr. Trump connected Monday (December 29, 2025) said helium was not informed of the exercises successful beforehand but inactive touted his narration with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Mr. Trump met Ms. Takaichi successful Tokyo successful October, soon aft she took office. The 2 exchanged lukewarm words, and Mr. Trump took her with him erstwhile helium spoke to U.S. troops aboard an craft bearer successful Japan.
After Ms. Takaichi's Taiwan comments angered Beijing, Mr. Trump called her and said they were “extremely bully friends” and that she should telephone him immoderate time, according to the Japanese leader, without disclosing if the 2 talked astir her remarks.
