2026年9月25日（金）ニュース

U.S.-China Summit — The Battle Lines Over AI and Taiwan

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met at the White House on September 24, agreeing to continue dialogue on artificial intelligence. According to Xinhua News Agency, Xi called on both nations to jointly prevent the misuse and abuse of AI, and Trump responded that cooperation should be strengthened. Xi also pressed Trump to "uphold the correct position of opposing Taiwan independence and handle the Taiwan issue prudently." The specifics of Trump's response were not disclosed.

Xi's Dinner Remarks on Japanese Militarism — A Warning to the U.S.-Japan Alliance

At a dinner held after the summit, Xi said that "the United States and China fought together in World War II and struck back against the aggression of Japanese militarism," in what was widely read as a pointed warning against the U.S.-Japan alliance. Trump himself had used similar language at the welcoming ceremony before the talks, describing China as "an ally of the United States at the time." It is worth noting, however, that the wartime ally of the United States was the Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek—not the People's Republic of China that Xi leads today. Both leaders have made comparable remarks on previous occasions.

Typhoon No. 25 — Over 10,000 Homes Without Power in Chiba, Levee Breaches at Lake Inbanuma

Record rainfall brought by Typhoon No. 25 left more than 10,000 households across multiple cities in Chiba Prefecture without electricity as of 3:00 p.m. on September 25. Tokyo Electric Power Grid reported widespread fallen trees and landslides, with no timeline set for full restoration. Regarding Lake Inbanuma (印旛沼), which has continued to experience flooding, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced that it had begun emergency repair work on the breached levee and would install a temporary embankment. The Chief Cabinet Secretary stated that Typhoon No. 25 is expected to be designated a "severe disaster" (激甚災害).

Hamaoka Nuclear Plant Units 3 and 4 — Chubu Electric Withdraws Restart Application

Chubu Electric Power announced on September 25 that it has withdrawn its application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority to restart Units 3 and 4 at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant. The plant came under scrutiny in January of this year when falsification of seismic design data came to light. Chubu Electric's board of directors voted at an extraordinary meeting on September 14 to withdraw the application. The company commented that it would "devote all efforts to thoroughly preventing a recurrence and to recovering the trust that has been lost."

Long-Term Interest Rates Hit a 30-Year High for the Second Consecutive Day

Selling pressure on Japanese government bonds continued in the bond market on September 25, pushing the yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB to 3.115%—up from 3.075% the previous day and extending a run of 30-year highs into a second consecutive session. Two factors are amplifying domestic selling pressure: overseas bond markets, including the United States, are selling off amid inflation fears driven by persistently high oil prices, and there is a growing market expectation that the Bank of Japan will pursue further rate hikes to bring inflation under control.

Minister for Regulatory Reform Denies Cash-Transfer Allegations

At a post-Cabinet press conference on September 25, Japan's Minister for Regulatory Reform denied allegations—first reported by the Sunday edition of Shimbun Akahata—that he had repeatedly received cash from a close aide while serving as mayor of Osaka. The minister stated, "This concerns events from 20 years ago, but the facts described simply did not occur," and added that he intends to "take the criticism seriously and press forward in my role."