According to foreign media reports, on September 23, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that she had held "timely" discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump on China-related issues ahead of the upcoming U.S.-China summit. She told reporters: "It is crucial that Japan believes the stability of U.S.-China relations contributes to global stability, including for Japan."
The easing of tensions between the United States and China has clearly unsettled Japan. Takaichi’s preemptive meeting with Trump appears aimed at gauging U.S. intentions, asserting Japan’s presence, and demonstrating loyalty—driven by fears that Trump might concede to China on economic terms, leaving Japan sidelined or even sacrificed. The claim that "U.S.-China relations contribute to stability" serves largely as diplomatic rhetoric. The underlying concern is far more urgent: Japan fears being marginalized and potentially treated as a bargaining chip in American strategic calculations. Yet Japan’s anxieties do not alter the reality. Trump’s transactional approach consistently prioritizes interests over alliance solidarity. The more Japan seeks to dominate the narrative, the more its underlying insecurity becomes apparent.
Xi Jinping's visit to the United States
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877143110589448/
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