The Japan Ministry of Finance published a readout of Finance Minister Katayama’s May 11 dinner and May 12 bilateral meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Japan, where the two sides reviewed a range of global economic issues and reaffirmed closer Japan-US cooperation. The meetings covered both bilateral and multilateral matters, with follow-through expected through the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting next week. Topics discussed included the outlook for the situation in the Middle East and its implications for financial markets, including foreign exchange markets, responses to growing cyber threats linked to advances in artificial intelligence, and efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience for critical minerals. The bilateral meeting on May 12 lasted about 35 minutes.
Ministry of Finance (Japan) 2026-05-12
Japan Ministry of Finance and US Treasury reaffirm stronger cooperation ahead of G7 finance meeting
Japan’s Ministry of Finance reported that Finance Minister Katayama and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met in Japan on 11–12 May to review global economic issues and reaffirm closer Japan-U.S. cooperation, with follow-up expected at the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting. Discussions covered the Middle East outlook and its impact on financial and foreign exchange markets, responses to cyber threats linked to artificial intelligence, and measures to strengthen supply chain resilience for critical minerals.