The government has asked Washington to arrange talks between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Trump around the ASEAN summit in Manila this month, Kyodo News reported, citing multiple Japanese and US sources.
The request is timed to the summit season. A meeting of the US, Chinese and Russian leaders is being floated for the APEC summit in Shenzhen shortly afterward.
Tokyo wants to state Japan's position on China and Russia to Trump before any such meeting takes place.
Concern Over a US Tilt Toward Beijing and Moscow
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are also expected to hold a bilateral meeting in China. It would be their third this year.
Japanese officials worry that Trump may rush to notch up diplomatic results after his Republican Party's heavy midterm election defeat. They fear he could move too quickly toward China and Russia.
The aim is to discourage an excessive tilt and to stress the strength of the Japan-US alliance.
A Quad Meeting on the Same Trip
In the Philippines, a summit of the Quad — Japan, the US, Australia and India — is being arranged. Takaichi is looking to talk with Trump around that meeting.
If the talks happen, she intends to align the two countries' views on China and Russia.