President Donald Trump meets with Japan's Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan October 27, 2025. (Kazuhiro Nogi/pool via Reuters)
"I look forward to meeting the new prime minister. I hear phenomenal things," Trump said on 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, U.S. and China negotiators reported great progress in Malaysia on a potential trade deal, easing tensions ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting on Thursday.
Relations between the two world leaders had strained over China’s recent crackdown on critical mineral exports and Trump threatened to bring back the 100% tariff on Chinese goods.
Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent said Sunday talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit had eliminated the need for 100% tariffs, expected to take effect Nov. 1, and that he expects China to delay implementation of its restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets.
Trump and Xi are expected to sign off on the agreement during the meeting if talks go well.
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Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. (Ton Molina/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
During the meeting with Trump, Takaichi is expected to face pressure to raise defense spending even further to match NATO’s 5% target.
Takaichi has expressed concern about Japan’s reliance on the U.S., but signaled intentions to work closely with Trump. She took office on a recent populist wave in Japan similar to the MAGA movement.
Trump’s suggestion that Japan should pay for U.S. troops in the region has spooked some Japanese officials. Around 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 those concerns, a trade framework in July placed a 15% tariff 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 has called "the most important partnership in Asia," setting the stage for his critical summit with Xi later this week.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-courts-japans-emperor-new-pm-before-high-stakes-xi-summit-week