Japan's PM Takaichi Urges Stable US-China Ties Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she hopes relations between the United States and China will contribute to the stability of the international community, speaking to reporters in New York after addressing the United Nations General Assembly.

Her remarks came ahead of a scheduled meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Takaichi said she had used her talks with Trump to convey Japan's concerns about China before that summit.

"We discussed various issues surrounding China, with the upcoming U.S.-China summit in mind, and exchanged views in a timely manner," she said, adding that Tokyo believes it is important for Washington and Beijing to develop ties that support international stability, including that of Japan.

On the Japan-US alliance, Takaichi said the two leaders held candid discussions covering the alliance and regional affairs, including the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, and that she believed they had demonstrated how robust the partnership is. She said Japan and the United States will continue to work closely together.

Asked about the International Criminal Court, Takaichi said Japan has consistently backed the court's efforts to uphold the rule of law internationally, and that she had exchanged frank views with Trump on the matter. She did not elaborate further. She has faced domestic criticism for what some see as a mild response to intensifying US sanctions against the ICC and its Japanese president.

Turning to Iran, Takaichi said military tensions persist and that she is deeply concerned by the severe strain on rule-of-law-based maritime order in the Strait of Hormuz. She called for rapid de-escalation and stabilisation of the wider region, and said it was crucial to restore free and safe navigation through the strait, describing it as a strategic hub for global logistics and an international public good that should be preserved without additional costs.