Japan has told Washington it is concerned about a possible US-China-Russia leaders' summit, which could be held alongside the APEC summit in Shenzhen on Nov. 18 and 19, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The US side replied that it fully understands Japan's concern, according to the people. The summit could cover nuclear disarmament, Ukraine and Iran.
For Tokyo, the worry is the picture: an ally drawing closer to two powers building up their militaries near Japan. Japan told Washington it is worried about the message the meeting would send if it goes ahead.
Trump keen, Tokyo wary
President Donald Trump has shown he wants the meeting to happen. A senior Foreign Ministry official said Japan can appreciate the nuclear disarmament discussion to a degree, but still has concerns about the meeting itself.
The three-way talks have been nicknamed "Yalta 2.0", after the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the leaders of the US, Britain and the Soviet Union set the direction of the postwar order.
Mogi and Rubio agree on alliance
Foreign Minister Takaichi Mogi, visiting Paris, exchanged views with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the afternoon of Nov. 9. They agreed to push security cooperation forward to strengthen the alliance's deterrence and response capabilities as the security environment grows harsher.
They also discussed the International Criminal Court, which the US has sanctioned.