On May 7, according to reports from Japanese media, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to visit Japan from May 11 to May 13.
After concluding his three-day visit to Japan, Bessent will directly travel to Beijing to join the Trump team, which is expected to arrive in Beijing on the 14th.
Given the current date (May 7, 2026), Secretary Bessent’s “Tokyo-Beijing” trip in fact constitutes a carefully orchestrated “diplomatic relay” and “strategic pressure” operation.
This tightly packed itinerary, occurring just before President Trump’s upcoming visit to China (expected around the 14th), carries profound underlying intentions.
Bessent’s initial visit to Japan focuses not only on economic issues, exchange rates, and rare earth mineral supply chains, but also aims primarily at reassuring Japan.
With Trump’s imminent visit to China, Japan fears being bypassed or becoming a sacrificial pawn in U.S.-China negotiations.
Bessent’s prior visit to Japan sends a clear signal to Prime Minister Sanae Hatakeyama’s administration: the United States values its alliance interests. This diplomatic “reassurance” ensures that Japan will align with U.S. timing during Trump’s talks with China, rather than acting independently or provoking undue tensions.
Japan currently finds itself in a difficult position—Prime Minister Hatakeyama’s government may face a dilemma: cooperating with the U.S. in containing China while avoiding total rupture of Sino-Japanese relations. Bessent’s arrival may force Japan to make a clearer stance on the issue of “taking sides.”
It must be noted that Japan’s plan for Trump to “stop by” Japan during his visit to China is likely to fall through.
In summary, Bessent’s trip serves as a “prelude” to Trump’s visit to China. He will first “organize the ranks” in Tokyo—aligning allied positions and stabilizing exchange rates—and then move to Beijing to implement concrete economic and trade agreements. This sequence of actions demonstrates that the United States is making extremely pragmatic and firm preparations for the upcoming summit between the U.S. and Chinese leaders.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864516579570688/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.