Trump meets with Japan’s emperor and prime minister ahead of Xi Jinping summit

President Donald Trump meets Monday with the emperor and new prime minister of Japan, its main ally, before a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Upon his arrival in Tokyo, Trump spoke with Japanese Emperor Naruhito, the symbolic leader of the nation, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet The first female Prime Minister of JapanSanae Takaichi.

The two men should come closer to their attachment to Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese Prime Minister assassinated in 2022.

Trump’s attention turns to Japan and South Korea as his Asia trip continues

President Donald Trump meets with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 27, 2025. (Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool via Reuters)

“I can’t wait to meet the new prime minister. I’m hearing phenomenal things,” Trump said Monday. “He was a great ally and friend of Shinzo Abe, who was my friend, the former prime minister. And he was great. He was one of my best…I know they were very close.”

“I think she’s going to be great,” he said of Takaichi.

Meanwhile, US and Chinese negotiators reported great progress in Malaysia on a possible trade deal, easing tensions as the trade deal approaches. Trump-Xi meeting Thursday.

Relations between the two world leaders were strained following China’s recent crackdown on exports of critical minerals and Trump threatened to reinstate 100% tariffs on Chinese goods.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said Sunday’s talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit had eliminated the need to impose 100% tariffs, which are due to take effect on November 1, and that he expects China to delay the implementation of its restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets.

Trump and Xi are expected to sign the deal at the meeting if negotiations go well.

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Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)

Takaichi took office last week and leads a right-wing coalition. Trump has already congratulated the new prime minister on becoming the first woman to lead Japan.

Takaichi is expected to tout Japan’s efforts to increase defense spending, which has long stood at 1% of GDP – a figure that analysts say is far below what the United States asks of its allies.

Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. (Ton Molina/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In his meeting with Trump, Takaichi is expected to be pressured to increase defense spending even further to meet NATO’s 5% target.

Takaichi expressed concerns about Japan’s dependence on the United States, but signaled his intention to work closely with Trump. She took office following a recent populist wave in Japan, similar to the MAGA movement.

Trump’s suggestion that Japan should fund U.S. troops in the region has spooked some Japanese officials. About 60,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan, making it the largest foreign host of U.S. forces.

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Adding to these concerns, a trade framework adopted in July imposed 15% tariffs on imported Japanese goods, with higher rates for steel, aluminum and auto parts.

Despite these challenges, both sides are expected to use this week’s meetings to reaffirm what Trump called “the most important partnership in Asia,” paving the way for his crucial summit with Xi later this week.