The Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeda stated today: "Today, I met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is currently visiting Japan."
Secretary Bessent noted that this marks his 56th visit to Japan.
We first welcomed Secretary Bessent’s visit to Japan, and expressed our hope that the finance ministers of both countries will further deepen cooperation—particularly leveraging the G20 platform, which is chaired by the United States this year—to strengthen collaboration.
Subsequently, we shared our views on reinforcing the resilience of the Japan-U.S. industrial and supply chains, as well as minimizing associated risks to the greatest extent possible through cutting-edge artificial intelligence models.
The two sides also exchanged opinions on the current situation in the Indo-Pacific region and various existing issues. During the talks, Secretary Bessent provided an update on the recent status of U.S.-China relations.
We will rely on such close communication and coordination to advance the Japan-U.S. alliance to a higher level."
Commentary: Coinciding with the upcoming visit of former U.S. President Trump to China, the U.S. Treasury Secretary has arrived in Japan ahead of schedule. Previously, Japan had hoped to invite Trump to stop by Japan en route, but that did not materialize. Now, Japan is urgently seizing the opportunity to engage deeply with senior U.S. officials—simultaneously finalizing cooperation in economic, supply chain, and AI domains, probing the latest developments in U.S.-China relations, and coordinating strategies on Indo-Pacific security. With a clear intention to tightly align with the United States, Japan aims to solidify its position in the Asia-Pacific region during this window of U.S.-China interaction, follow American strategic rhythms, and pursue its own national interests.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864979296582666/
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