Trump Receives Royal Treatment In Japan Ahead Of High-Stakes Xi Meeting

President Donald Trump met with Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Monday to kick off the Japan leg of the president’s Asian tour.

Trump is expected to meet with Japan’s chief political leader, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on Tuesday. Later in the week, the president is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in what both sides have signaled could be a detente in the ongoing trade war.

The emperor, the ceremonial head of Japan, greeted Trump on Monday. The president met with the emperor for about 30 minutes at the imperial palace.

Ahead of their meeting on Tuesday, Trump spoke to Takaichi over the phone from Air Force One.

“I hear great things about her. I think she’s going to be great. She was a great friend of Mr. Abe, who was a great man, Prime Minister Abe, and a great friend of mine. He was just a fantastic person,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One about his upcoming meeting with the prime minister.

“He liked her a lot, she liked him a lot, so that’s a good sign. I look forward to meeting her,” said Trump.

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The meeting’s timing, ahead of Trump’s meeting with Xi, could be opportune for Takaichi, giving the new prime minister time to build rapport with Trump amid long-running tensions between Japan and China. The two leaders are expected to bond over their mutual respect for Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, providing a potential basis to ease trade tensions between Washington and Tokyo, as well.

Trump’s meeting with Xi, scheduled for Thursday, may result in a truce in the trade war that has erupted between Beijing and Washington since Trump took office in January. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that American and Chinese negotiators had reached a “substantial framework” on trade.

“The president had given me maximum leverage when he threatened 100% tariffs if the Chinese imposed their rare earth global export controls. So, I think we have averted that, so that the tariffs will be averted,” said Bessent during an interview on ABC.

“We also agreed on substantial agriculture purchases for U.S. farmers,” he added. “We agreed that the Chinese would begin to help us with the precursor chemicals for this terrible fentanyl epidemic that’s ravaging our country. So, I would say that it was a very good meeting overall.”