Japan Uses Bessent Visit to Send China a Message on Japan-U.S. Solidarity |
By Yujiro Okabe / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
14:49 JST, May 13, 2026
The government tried to demonstrate Japan-U.S. solidarity ahead of the May 14 U.S.-China summit by holding a series of meetings between ministers including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is currently visiting Japan.
There is also a strategic intent to use Bessent — a close aide to U.S. President Donald Trump — to caution the president against aligning with China’s one-sided assertions on such matters as the cooling of Japan-China relations and Taiwan policy.
At her meeting with Bessent on Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office, Takaichi reiterated the importance of........