Takaichi leaves for US to attend UN General Assembly

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has departed for the United States to attend the UN General Assembly.

On Monday night, Takaichi left Tokyo's Haneda airport aboard a government plane to kick off her four-day trip to New York.

Before leaving, she told reporters that she will use her debut UN address as prime minister to emphasize the importance of addressing issues such as North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals and climate change, as well as upholding the rule of law and the need for UN reform.

Takaichi said she wants to express Japan's resolve to take a leading role under an evolved vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific." She highlighted areas such as strengthening energy and other supply chains, cooperating with the Global South, and addressing challenges arising from technological innovations such as artificial intelligence.

According to Takaichi, final arrangements are underway for meetings with other world leaders, including a Japan-US summit.

Takaichi is seeking a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday to coordinate their views on China, just ahead of Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.