2025-10-28 13:56, updated 2025-10-28 14:26
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2025-10-28 13:56
update
2025-10-28 14:26
Japan and the United States will strengthen deterrence and response capabilities within their alliance, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced after Tuesday's summit with President Donald Trump in Tokyo. She described the talks as a “great success.” The leaders discussed issues related to security in the region and economic cooperation.
– Peace cannot be maintained by words alone. He can only be protected if there is unwavering determination and action, Takaichi said, reporting on the talks with Trump in the evening local time.
The Prime Minister emphasized the Japanese government's “determination” to “dramatically strengthen its defense capabilities and increase defense spending”. She also noted that during the talks “there was no discussion about a specific scale” or numbers regarding the new budget. In last week's expose, Takaichi talked about accelerating the increase in military spending to 2 percent. GDP.
The head of government expressed her belief in the possibility of taking the alliance with the US to an “even higher level”, calling Japan an “irreplaceable partner” of Washington in the Indo-Pacific region. President Trump echoed these assessments, calling the alliance “the foundation of peace in the Pacific” and “one of the most extraordinary relationships in the entire world.”
He also added that “suddenly he (with Takaichi) became very close friends.”
The leaders met twice on Tuesday – in the morning at talks in Tokyo, and then they visited the American aircraft carrier George Washington at the Yokosuka naval base.
In response to concerns about China's export control of rare earth metals, the leaders also signed documents to “further strengthen cooperation” in the field of economic security. It is intended to cover strategic sectors such as critical minerals, rare earth metals (a framework agreement has been signed to secure supplies of these raw materials), AI and the shipbuilding industry.
Takaichi emphasized that the goal is to diversify supply chains. She emphasized that becoming independent from “excessive dependence on certain countries” is a “huge benefit” for Japan.
The situation in the region was also discussed. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.” Trump reportedly assured of his “commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.”
Prime Minister Takaichi announced that she received Trump's “full support” regarding the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by the authorities in Pyongyang.
The leaders reaffirmed their intention to strengthen cooperation with “like-minded countries,” exchanging trilateral formats with South Korea. and the Philippines, and the quadrilateral dialogue within the Quad (Japan, USA, Australia, India). As they noted, this is aimed at implementing the common vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The situation in the Middle East and Ukraine was also discussed, Takaichi said, without giving details.
Talks between the heads of the US and Japanese defense ministries, Pete Hegseth and Shinjiro Koizumi, are scheduled for Wednesday in Tokyo.
Donald Trump's visit to Japan is part of his trip to Asian countries. On Wednesday, the US president will travel to South Korea. On Thursday, Trump will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) summit in South Korea. According to experts, it may be crucial to ending the tariff war between the world's two largest economies.
Krzysztof Pawliszak (PAP)
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