Japan PM says strong U.S. ties ‘top priority’ after talk with Trump

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a policy speech at the extraordinary session of parliament's lower house Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Tokyo, Japan — Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she told U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call on Saturday that strengthening the alliance between their countries was her “top priority”.

The call came days before Trump’s planned visit to Tokyo on a regional tour, and was the first between the two leaders since Takaichi took office earlier this week, media said.

“We agreed that we will work toward elevating the Japan-U.S. alliance to new heights,” she told reporters.

“I told him that strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance is my administration’s top priority on the diplomatic and security front”.

Takaichi also said she found Trump “to be a very lively, fun person”.

In a post on X, she said their conversation was “good and candid”.

Trump is due to visit Japan from Monday on his way to crunch trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

The US president wants Tokyo and other allies to boost their military spending.

In her first policy speech, Takaichi said Friday that two percent of gross domestic product will be spent on defence this fiscal year, hitting the government’s target two years early.

AFP