Senior American diplomats, administration officials and Indo-Pacific military commanders met in Tokyo earlier this month in what one source called an “unusual” gathering ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in November.
People familiar with the meeting said it represented an evolution of a long-standing practice in which US ambassadors stationed across Asia and the Pacific gathered to exchange intelligence, coordinate diplomatic reporting and align regional priorities.
The Tokyo gathering brought a broad mix of diplomatic, administrative and military officials into the process, suggesting a formalised and elevated-level approach to regional coordination on the US side.
The roster also included the de facto American envoy to Taiwan, while the programme featured a visit to the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan.