**President Trump Arrives in Japan to Meet New Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Amid Trade Talks**
President Donald Trump arrived in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, marking the next leg of his Asian tour focused heavily on strengthening business ties. His visit comes at a pivotal moment for Japan, with newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeking to build a friendly personal relationship with the U.S. leader to help ease ongoing trade tensions.
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**A Diplomatic Test for Japan’s First Woman Leader**
Prime Minister Takaichi, who took office just last week, faces the challenge of leading a tenuous coalition government. The upcoming meeting with Mr. Trump will serve as an early diplomatic test for her administration.
Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One during the flight to Tokyo, Mr. Trump expressed optimism about working with Takaichi, highlighting her close ties to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—the U.S. leader’s key ally during his first term. “I hear phenomenal things about her,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s going to be very good. That really helps Japan and the United States.”
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**Schedule and Meetings in Japan**
Following his arrival, Mr. Trump’s only scheduled event on Monday was a meeting at the Imperial Palace with Emperor Naruhito, Japan’s ceremonial head of state.
Prior to arriving in Japan, the President spent Sunday in Malaysia participating in a regional summit with Southeast Asian nations, where he struck preliminary trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
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**Trade Deal with China Expected Soon**
A significant focus of Mr. Trump’s Asian tour is securing a trade agreement with China. On Air Force One, he told reporters he expected a deal to be finalized before returning to Washington later this week.
Officials from both the U.S. and China announced Sunday that they had reached an initial consensus, paving the way for a potential agreement during Mr. Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.
“I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Mr. Trump said. “I think we’re going to come away with a deal.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, traveling with the President, also confirmed that a TikTok deal announced last month was set to be finalized during the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting.
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**Next Stop: South Korea and Meeting with Xi Jinping**
After Japan, Mr. Trump is scheduled to conclude his Asian tour in South Korea, where he is expected to meet with President Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a Pacific Rim summit.
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**Openness to Meeting North Korean Leader**
In a notable gesture, Mr. Trump expressed willingness to extend his trip if an opportunity arose to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” the President told reporters, though his overtures have thus far gone unanswered.
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**Trump Addresses Vice Presidency and Future Political Plans**
In other remarks, Mr. Trump dismissed speculation about running for vice president as a strategy to return to the presidency, calling the idea “too cute.”
Although longtime ally Steve Bannon has suggested the possibility of Mr. Trump serving a third term despite constitutional limits, the President said he had not seriously considered it.
He also praised potential Republican candidates Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance, saying, “I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable.”
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**Regional Security and Trade: South China Sea, Taiwan, and Tariffs**
Beyond trade, security issues loom large in the region, including access to the South China Sea and the future of Taiwan. However, Mr. Trump’s primary focus remains on trade and reshaping the global economy according to his “America First” vision.
This approach often involves imposing tariffs on imports from both allies and adversaries to promote domestic manufacturing or negotiate better trade terms. The President’s authority to enact tariffs unilaterally is currently under scrutiny, with a Supreme Court decision forthcoming that could either consolidate or limit his powers.
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President Trump’s visit to Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region underscores the complex interplay of diplomacy, trade negotiations, and security challenges shaping U.S. foreign policy in Asia today.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-china-trade-deal-asia-tour-continues-japan-sanae-takaichi/
