Takaichi Pushes Faster 2% Defence, Deepens ASEAN Ties

Sanae Takaichi used her first overseas trip as prime minister to the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur to deepen security ties with Southeast Asian countries, stressing a free and open Indo‑Pacific and raising concerns about the East and South China Seas and Taiwan. She pledged to expand Japan’s maritime security assistance and to build a reliable AI framework with ASEAN partners, and in a bilateral meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the two said they had reached an agreement in principle on an Acquisition and Cross‑Servicing Agreement (ACSA). Ahead of a Tokyo summit, Takaichi told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call that strengthening the Japan–U.S. alliance is her administration’s “top priority” and both leaders pledged to elevate the alliance. The trip also included trade outreach — Tokyo floated buying a fleet of Ford F‑150 trucks to assuage U.S. market access concerns — and Takaichi signaled continuity with Abe‑era security policy, saying her government intends to reach the 2% of GDP defence spending target sooner than previously expected.