NEW YORK — U.S. President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, lavishing praise on Japan’s first female premier and underscoring the strength of the bilateral alliance just days before his planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The roughly 35-minute talks at UN headquarters focused on coordinating positions on China, enhancing economic security cooperation, and bolstering the Japan-U.S. alliance’s deterrence capabilities. Takaichi, who took office in October 2025, arranged the meeting to demonstrate unity ahead of Xi’s first state visit to Washington in 11 years, scheduled for Thursday.

Trump opened with warm personal remarks, calling Takaichi “a friend of mine” and noting they had grown close over the past year. “The industry in Japan is doing very well. The country is doing very well. It’s a very big improvement, and it’s an honor to be with her,” he said. He added that she is “going to go down as one of the great prime ministers.”

“It’s a very big improvement, and it’s an honor to be with her. She’s going to go down as one of the great prime ministers.” — President Donald Trump, on PM Sanae Takaichi

Takaichi reciprocated, highlighting the alliance’s robustness amid a “severe security environment” in Asia. “Against the backdrop of an increasingly severe security environment… I would like to seize this opportunity to demonstrate to the world how robust our alliance is,” she said at the outset. She thanked Trump for his “very, very powerful commitment” to the partnership.

According to the Japanese government, the leaders agreed to further strengthen cooperation across economic security, the broader economy, and security, building on Trump’s visit to Japan in October 2025 and Takaichi’s trip to Washington in March 2026. They specifically confirmed progress and committed to advancing work in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and critical minerals to enhance supply-chain resilience and technological competitiveness.

On regional issues, the two discussed China-related matters—including economic security—with the upcoming U.S.-China summit in mind, and pledged close coordination. They also reaffirmed their joint commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, and Trump expressed full support for resolving Japan’s abductions issue. A frank exchange of views occurred on the International Criminal Court.

Japanese officials described the meeting as timely and significant for presenting a united front. Takaichi later called the discussion on China “timely,” stressing that stable U.S.-China relations should contribute to international stability, including for Japan.

“I would like to seize this opportunity to demonstrate to the world how robust our alliance is.” — Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

The encounter marks the latest in a series of positive interactions between the leaders. Trump has previously praised Takaichi as a “winner” and close partner, while both sides have emphasized a “golden age” for the alliance amid shared concerns over regional security and economic challenges from China.