US treasury secretary to visit Japan ahead of Trump's China trip: Minister

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed his intention Wednesday to visit Japan in mid-May ahead of President Donald Trump's trip to China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama.

Katayama was speaking to reporters in Washington, DC after her meeting with Bessent, according to the Nippon.com news website.

The two officials also discussed the conflict in Iran and developments in foreign exchange markets.

Katayama signaled Japan’s readiness to intervene in foreign exchange markets to address the yen’s weakness, saying authorities "will take resolute measures if necessary."

She added that both sides agreed to stay in close communication.

Her predecessor, Katsunobu Kato, and Bessent had said in a joint statement in September that intervention in currency markets "should be reserved for combatting excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates."