Japan says Trump has invited its leader to the US. It comes as ties with China are strained

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a phone call Friday to visit the United States this year, the Japanese foreign ministry said, in what would be the ultraconservative leader’s first trip to the U.S. since taking office in October.

The White House is yet to confirm the call and the invitation. It comes as ties between Japan and China have been strained, ramping up tensions in the region. The U.S., a close ally of Japan, is seeking 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 staged two-day military exercises in the waters off Taiwan this week. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, infuriated China late last year when she said Chinese military action against Taiwan could be grounds for a Japanese military response, breaking away from former Japanese leaders’ strategic ambiguity on the highly sensitive matter.

In a statement Friday, the Japanese foreign ministry said Takaichi and Trump agreed to coordinate for the visit to happen this spring. Kyodo News, Japan’s news agency, suggested that Takaichi’s trip could coincide with the annual cherry blossom festival in Washington.

The foreign ministry said the two leaders affirmed that they would “carve out a new chapter in the history of the Japan-U.S. alliance” in a year when the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding and that they would “further deepen the friendly relations” between the two nations, including economic and security cooperation.

Takaichi and Trump also agreed on their commitment to promoting cooperation among like-minded partners, including the Japan-U.S.-South Korea partnership, and to 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 it did not provide details, including whether the two discussed recent actions by Beijing in the region.

China’s military drills off Taiwan also came after the Trump administration announced a package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $11 billion. If approved by Congress, it would represent the largest such aid to the island ever – a move criticized sharply by China.

Beijing claims sovereignty over the self-governed island and vows to seize it – by force if necessary. The U.S. is obligated by a 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 exercises in advance but still touted his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump met Takaichi in Tokyo in October, shortly after she took office. The two exchanged warm words, and Trump took her with him when he spoke to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier in Japan.

After Takaichi’s Taiwan comments angered Beijing, Trump called her and said they were “extremely good friends” and that she should call him any time, according to the Japanese leader, without disclosing if the two talked about her remarks.