#japan-politics

#japan-politics

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday expressed hopes of deepening her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump and strengthen cooperation between the two countries in rare earths development and other areas of economic security when she visits Washington next month. Takaichi, at a news conference late Wednesday, expressed hopes to strengthen cooperation with the U.S., especially in economic security, as tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have risen over the last few months.

There is hope. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), have released an agreement that pledges to "substantially expand" grants for scientific research and to "establish a system granting legal effect to the use of maiden names". Both are promising for researchers, but the future of Japanese science will depend on how these policies are implemented.

Takaichi, who this month became Japan's first female leader after winning a vote to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP), made her international debut at this weekend's Asean summit. But it is her meeting with Trump on Tuesday that will set the tone for Tokyo's relationship with its important and increasingly unpredictable ally, which has imposed retaliatory tariffs on Japan, despite the US president's obvious affection for the country.

S&P 500 futures rose 0.27% this morning, premarket, with indexes in Asia and Europe also broadly rising as traders savored strong economic growth in China, a new "pro-stimulus" government in Japan, and the prospect that President Trump may not be in a position to impose 100% tariffs on Beijing starting November 1. Investors are also increasingly convinced that the Fed's next rate cut is locked in.

Today we will sign the agreement to launch a coalition government.

The spot price of bullion has jumped by over 1% today to $3,944 per ounce, as it closes in on the $4000/oz mark. This means the gold price has jumped by 50% since the start of January, on track for its best annual gains since the Iranian Revolution. Gold has been driven higher this year by several factors, including rising concerns that government debts are unsustainable.