Overview
- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for talks in Nara, where both leaders endorsed stronger cooperation on economic security, artificial intelligence, and regional and global issues.
- Beijing tightened export controls last week on dual‑use goods bound for Japan, a step that threatens rare earth supplies and highlights shared supply‑chain vulnerabilities.
- Ties between Tokyo and Beijing have cooled since November, when Takaichi suggested Japan could intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan.
- Lee met Xi Jinping in China a week before the Japan visit, a sequence analysts say underscores Seoul’s effort to balance ties rather than align with one side.
- The outreach follows heightened regional tensions from Chinese military activity near Taiwan and North Korean missile launches, with commentators also citing concern over U.S. policy unpredictability under President Donald Trump.