Daily Briefing · 2026-09-22

Prime Minister Takaichi and President Trump held a meeting and discussed China policy and other issues. Strengthening of Japan-US relations and stabilization of the regional economy are expected. In her UN address, Prime Minister Takaichi announced an economic strategy centered on strengthening the resilience of energy supply networks. The policy aims to secure resources and enhance international competitiveness. The US and China have built a dialogue framework to address major issues in the AI field. This is expected to reduce risks from technological competition and market uncertainty. Meanwhile, ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to the US, Premier Li Qiang has emphasized that the Taiwan issue is an inviolable red line, and the risk of instability in trade relations continues. At the Japan-US-South Korea foreign ministers' meeting, cooperation policy toward North Korea's denuclearization was confirmed. At the UN, the General Debate has opened, and discussions on climate change and AI are gaining momentum. A tailwind is expected for green energy and AI-related stocks. In China, two senior military officials were expelled from the party for accepting massive bribes. The corruption within the military leadership has come to light, raising concerns about policy execution risks in the defense sector. In Germany, although the ruling party lost seats in the state parliamentary election, Chancellor Merz announced he would remain in office. The weakening of the political foundation is being recognized as an execution risk for economic policy. In Russia, the ruling party won a landslide victory in the lower house election, strengthening the foundation of the Putin administration. Meanwhile, a decline in the growth rate due to the prolonged economic sanctions is a cause for concern. In the Middle East, President Trump has shifted his policy on airstrikes against the Houthis, and avoiding an escalation of the conflict could help mitigate the impact on oil prices. In the real estate sector, a redevelopment project for the British Library involving Japanese companies has broken ground, and an expansion of international investment opportunities is expected. In the US, three media companies have filed suit over the White House's press access ban, raising concerns about the impact on reporting activities and advertising revenue. Domestically, the fall in rice prices has worsened profitability for farmers, and cases of farming operations becoming unsustainable are becoming more serious. Also, a mass die-off of fish caused by red tide resulted in an economic loss of approximately 3.7 billion yen. In the labor sector, a worker who died by suicide while on home standby during the COVID-19 pandemic has been recognized as a case of workplace accident compensation, and the company will bear responsibility for workers' compensation insurance benefits and bereavement compensation.