WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in a phone call Friday to visit the United States this year, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, in what will be the ultraconservative leader’s first trip to the United States since taking office in October.
The White House has yet to confirm the call and invitation. It comes as ties between Japan and China have been strained, raising tensions in the region. The United States, a close ally of Japan, is looking to strengthen its ties with Tokyo but also stabilize its relationship with Beijing ahead of a likely trip by Trump to China in April.
Beijing held two-day military exercises in the waters off Taiwan this week. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, angered China late last year when she said Chinese military action against Taiwan could be grounds for a Japanese military response, breaking with former Japanese leaders’ strategic ambiguity on the highly sensitive issue.
In a statement Friday, the Japanese foreign ministry said that Takaichi and Trump agreed to coordinate for the visit to take place this spring. Kyodo News, Japan’s news agency, suggested that Takaichi’s trip could coincide with the annual cherry blossom festival in Washington.
The ministry for foreign affairs said that the two leaders affirmed that they will “write a new chapter in the history of the alliance between Japan and the United States” in a year when the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its establishment and to “further deepen the friendly relations” between the two nations, including economic and security cooperation.
Takaichi and Trump also agreed on their commitment to promote cooperation among like-minded partners, including the partnership between Japan, the United States and South Korea, and for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the foreign ministry statement said.
The two exchanged views “mainly on the Indo-Pacific region,” the ministry said, but did not provide details, including whether the two discussed recent actions by Beijing in the region.
China’s military exercises off Taiwan also came after the Trump administration announced an arms sales package to Taiwan worth more than $11 billion. If approved by Congress, it would represent the largest such aid to the island ever – a move strongly criticized by China.
Beijing claims sovereignty over the self-governing island and vows to seize it — by force if necessary. The United States is obligated by domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter any attack from the mainland.
Trump on Monday said he was not informed of the drills beforehand but still touted his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump met with Takaichi in Tokyo in October, shortly after she took office. The two exchanged warm words, and Trump took it with him when he spoke to American troops aboard an aircraft carrier in Japan.
After Takaichi’s comments in Taiwan angered Beijing, Trump called her and said they were “extremely good friends” and that she should call her anytime, according to the Japanese leader, without disclosing whether the two had discussed her remarks.