Two days before Xi Jinping was due at the White House, Washington spent a Monday in New York telling its two closest Asian allies that nothing would be traded away.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Their joint statement said the United States “reiterated its ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK, backed by America’s unmatched military strength, including its nuclear capabilities.” ROK is the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official name. President Donald Trump was due to host Xi on September 24.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung are both keen to see Trump in New York, officials said. All three are scheduled to speak at the General Assembly on Tuesday.
What the statement said
The ministers stressed robust security cooperation and the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and “expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.” In what looked like a reference to China, they promised to stand firm “against economic coercion and non-market policies and practices” and “arbitrary export restrictions that disrupt supply chains.” They also welcomed a new trilateral consultation mechanism on economic security, part of wider efforts on supply chains and critical technologies.
On North Korea, they “reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization” of the country and urged it to resume dialogue.
The worry in Tokyo and Seoul
Analysts say the allies are anxious that Trump may offer Xi concessions, on Taiwan and on trade, in return for an economic win. Taiwan is a democratically governed island that China claims as its own. Trade announcements from the summit will be read closely for what they do to competitiveness against China, analysts said, since even a modest cut in barriers for Beijing could erode the allies’ own positions.
History adds weight. Takaichi angered Beijing in 2025 by saying Tokyo could be drawn into a conflict over Taiwan. Seoul and Washington, for their part, are still negotiating the details of South Korea’s $350 billion investment package in the United States, part of a trade deal struck in 2025. On Monday a South Korean opposition lawmaker called for parliamentary scrutiny of the package, warning that talks over energy projects could leave South Korea carrying disproportionate financial risks.
