Japanese officials have rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that Tokyo is seeking to weaken the yen against the U.S. dollar to gain a trade advantage.

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday that Trump's comment, made in a meeting with executives of pharmaceutical companies, "completely misses the mark."

Suga told reporters Japan plans to explain to U.S. officials that the aim of monetary policies that have pulled the yen lower is to spur inflation, not devalue the currency.

Trump accused China and Japan of currency manipulation, saying they play "the devaluation market and we sit there like a bunch of dummies."

criticism　 批判
currency policy　 為替政策
off base　 全く的外れで
chief cabinet secretary　 （内閣）官房長官
reject one's accusation　 ～の非難を否定する、退ける
manipulate currency market　 為替市場を操作する
weaken the yen against the US dollar　 米ドルに対して円を弱くする