Tokyo: The United States and Myanmar’s military-backed government held a second round of secret talks in Tokyo last week, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, signaling accelerated re-engagement between Washington and the generals it isolated after the 2021 coup.
The meeting in the Japanese capital comes less than a month after a first face-to-face in Naypyitaw in mid-September between junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and senior US official Michael Vance. That earlier contact focused on securing the release of a detained American businessman and pressing Myanmar to shut down massive scam compounds that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars, but officials said it also opened the door to wider issues including Myanmar’s vast heavy rare-earth deposits.
According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, the Tokyo talks were again led by Vance, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. More than a dozen US officials attended. It was not immediately clear who represented Myanmar’s side. Vance had previously testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 18, 2026.
The State Department declined to confirm Vance’s presence in Tokyo, saying his Bureau of Intelligence and Research informs policymakers but does not lead Myanmar policy. That role, a spokesperson said, belongs to the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, which is shaping and implementing US policy toward the country. The spokesperson added that Washington does not comment on the content of purported sensitive discussions, but said any engagement with Myanmar is rooted in achieving practical wins for the American people, particularly those affected by transnational crime.
A spokesperson for Myanmar’s State Administration Council did not respond to a request for comment. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said it has been communicating as necessary with both sides but declined to comment on specific diplomatic exchanges, leaving its exact role as host unclear.
The quick follow-up meeting suggests both sides want to keep momentum. For Washington, two priorities have emerged. The first is transnational scam hubs operating along Myanmar’s borders, particularly in areas controlled by army-backed militias such as Kayin State. Researchers and UN officials say these centers run romance scams, fake investment platforms and other online fraud, with some proceeds flowing to military-linked actors. Myanmar’s government insists it is participating in a multinational crackdown.
The second is critical minerals. Myanmar is one of the world’s largest sources of heavy rare earths, essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, semiconductors and defense systems. The deposits are largely in northern Kachin State and other territories controlled by ethnic armed groups fighting the junta, while China remains the dominant buyer and processor. US officials acknowledge that any deal would face huge logistical and geopolitical obstacles, including Chinese opposition.
Signs of a policy shift in Washington are already visible. Last week, the US Treasury lifted sanctions on the daughter of a prominent Myanmar businessman accused of supporting the military. The State Department described the move as part of a new approach that highlights the importance of pursuing dialogue with all groups involved in Burma’s civil war and re-examining the range of tools historically used to promote US interests.
The shift marks a departure from years of isolation. After the February 2021 coup that ousted Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the US imposed sweeping sanctions on Min Aung Hlaing, military conglomerates and associates, citing human rights abuses including the crushing of pro-democracy protests and the 2016-2017 military operations against Rohingya Muslims that Washington declared a genocide. The UN says thousands have been killed in military airstrikes since the coup, which triggered a nationwide civil war.
Analysts say the Trump administration is now viewing Myanmar through a purely transactional lens. Hunter Marston, Southeast Asia director at the Lowy Institute, said critical minerals and rare earths are likely seen as the chief strategic asset Washington wants from Myanmar, outweighing previous emphasis on democracy and human rights.
Japan’s posture is also evolving. While Tokyo condemned the 2021 coup, it stopped short of imposing sanctions and has kept a commercial foothold. Around 300 Japanese companies still operate in Myanmar, down from over 400 in 2020 according to JETRO. In early October, Japan’s acting envoy to Myanmar met the junta’s foreign minister in the first known public engagement, and in September ruling party lawmaker Hiromichi Watanabe visited Naypyitaw to discuss restarting bilateral cooperation and resuming development aid, according to state media.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said the envoy’s meeting raised protection for Japanese nationals and support for Japanese firms, and that Watanabe’s trip was in his individual capacity as a Diet member and does not prejudge government policy. Watanabe told Reuters his aim was to prepare the environment to normalize relations, though barriers remain.
Neither the US nor Japan formally recognizes the junta as the legitimate government of Myanmar, but the Tokyo channel shows a growing willingness to engage pragmatically. For Min Aung Hlaing, who remains under US sanctions, any dialogue with Washington offers a degree of international legitimacy he has sought since seizing power. For Washington, it offers a potential foothold on scam enforcement and supply chains at a time when competition with China over critical minerals is intensifying.
Whether the talks produce concrete outcomes remains uncertain, but the fact that a second meeting happened within weeks indicates the re-engagement is more than exploratory.
