According to reports from Global Times and Xinhua News Agency, Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Asako has recently frequently signaled her desire to meet with the U.S. president as soon as possible, even offering to visit the U.S. or take advantage of Trump's foreign trip to facilitate the meeting.

On December 18-19 local time, several anonymous Japanese government officials revealed that the Japanese government has begun coordinating Hashimoto Asako's planned visit to the U.S. in the spring of next year, and to hold talks with Trump. The proposed timing includes early next year, or after Japan's regular session of the Diet passes the budget for fiscal year 2026.

Photo of Hashimoto Asako. Source: Visual China

According to Japanese observers, considering that Trump has stated his intention to visit China in April next year, the Japanese government hopes to arrange a Japan-U.S. summit before that. This move aims to solidify the bilateral relationship between Japan and the U.S., coordinate their policies toward China, and avoid the risk of Japan being sidelined amid the strengthening interaction between China and the U.S.

Regarding the specific arrangements for the meeting, some members of the Liberal Democratic Party and opposition parties had previously suggested that the meeting could be arranged during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January next year.

However, sources close to the prime minister stated that Japan prefers to push for the meeting through an official bilateral visit rather than a "side meeting" during an international conference, in order for both sides to have more in-depth discussions on issues such as economy and security.

Japanese government officials revealed that if Hashimoto visits the U.S. as planned, both sides are expected to exchange views on several topics. These include: Japan explaining its policy direction to strengthen its defense capabilities, confirming the enhancement of the deterrent power of the Japan-U.S. alliance; implementing Japan's commitment in the previous Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations to expand investment in the U.S.; and enhancing cooperation in the diversification of critical mineral supply chains such as rare earths.

In addition, both sides may also exchange views on Japan's planned revision of the "security three documents," including the National Security Strategy, by the end of next year.

Chang'an Street Knowledge noticed that Hashimoto previously made erroneous remarks on Taiwan, leading to tension in Sino-Japanese relations. Trump did not show support for Hashimoto.

The Global Times reported on December 15, citing Japanese media, that after the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Trump in October, Trump prioritized reaching a trade agreement with China and kept distance from the Sino-Japanese conflict triggered by Hashimoto's remarks on Taiwan.

A Japanese government official revealed that during the phone call between the Japanese and U.S. leaders in late November, Trump had warned Hashimoto in a severe tone: "They are trying to handle things well, don't come and cause trouble." Hashimoto was "very depressed" after the call.

On December 12, Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro held a telephone conversation with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, discussing the Japanese-proclaimed incident on December 6 when Chinese aircraft twice "radar locked" Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighters. However, the content released by the U.S. did not mention "radar locking," but only stated that they "discussed China's military activities," which is seen as an attempt to avoid over-stimulating China.

Amid this context, some voices within the Japanese government believe that the prime minister's visit to the U.S. should be arranged before Trump's visit to China to reconfirm the stable Japan-U.S. relationship. Some comments also point out that whether this visit can truly send a signal of Japan-U.S. solidarity remains to be observed.

Sources: Chang'an Street Knowledge, Global Times, Xinhua News Agency, Shangguan News

Original: toutiao.com/article/7586117818924417578/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.