Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will attend the ASEAN-related summit in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting in China next week, she announced on Monday. The trip will take her to two of the region's biggest diplomatic gatherings within days of each other, at a moment of strain in Japan's relations with Beijing.

Takaichi disclosed her travel plans during an executive meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, according to The Chronicle. The announcement was reported on Tuesday 10 November 2026.

Philippines leg: clean energy and the Quad

During her visit to the Philippines, Takaichi is expected to take part in a summit under the Japan-led Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) framework, which promotes decarbonisation and energy cooperation among Southeast Asian countries and other participating nations.

Leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, comprising Japan, the United States, Australia and India, are also expected to meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN gatherings. The planned meeting would mark the first gathering of Quad leaders since US President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025.

Takaichi is also seeking a bilateral meeting with Trump during her stay in the Philippines, as Japan looks to keep its closest alliance at the centre of its regional diplomacy.

China leg: first visit since taking office

Following the ASEAN meetings, the prime minister is scheduled to travel to China for the APEC summit, marking her first visit to the country since assuming office in October 2025.

Her visit comes amid strained diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Beijing, with attention focused on whether she will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is set to chair the APEC gathering in Shenzhen.

Japanese officials are working to ensure Takaichi is not snubbed at the summit, according to ChinaPulse, which reported that Tokyo expects Xi to greet her with at least a customary handshake. Ties between Japan and China have fallen to one of their lowest points since the two countries normalised relations in 1972, following a dispute over Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.

A private meeting between Takaichi and Xi is considered unlikely, according to people familiar with the planning cited in the report. Any contact is instead expected to come through APEC's formal programme, including the leaders' dinner, at which Xi is due to greet each attendee.

Why the trip matters

The back-to-back summits put Takaichi at the heart of Asian diplomacy in her first weeks as prime minister. The ASEAN meetings offer a stage to deepen ties with Southeast Asia and to coordinate with Quad partners, while the APEC visit in China will test whether the two sides can keep channels open despite their public differences.

For Japan, the visit to Shenzhen is also a chance to press its case on economic security and supply chains with the region's leaders, and to show that Tokyo intends to stay engaged with Beijing even while its differences with China remain unresolved.