Tokyo [Japan], November 27 (ANI): US President Donald Trump urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a recent phone call to avoid escalating tensions with China over Taiwan, Kyodo News reported, citing The Wall Street Journal.
The conversation took place as relations between Tokyo and Beijing grew strained following Takaichi’s remarks in parliament earlier this month, where she suggested that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could create conditions requiring Japan’s defense forces to act.
According to Kyodo News, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s message was measured and that he “didn’t pressure Takaichi to walk back her comments,” citing individuals familiar with the exchange. A Japanese government source told Kyodo News on Thursday that both leaders discussed working together to ease diplomatic friction with China.
Trump has often praised Takaichi’s firm national security stance, and during his recent visit to Japan, he emphasized the strength of the bilateral alliance. However, Kyodo News noted that her comments have angered Chinese President Xi Jinping at a sensitive moment for Trump, who is seeking to maintain stable ties with Beijing.
The Wall Street Journal, citing a person briefed on the call, reported that Trump suggested Takaichi soften her tone on Taiwan, acknowledging that she faced political constraints at home and likely could not fully retract statements that had provoked China.
Japanese officials were reportedly unsettled by Trump’s message, viewing it as a signal that he does not want the Taiwan issue to disrupt the recent thaw in relations he achieved with Xi, which included a Chinese pledge to increase purchases of American agricultural products amid the ongoing trade dispute.
Trump told reporters he had a “great talk” with Takaichi on Monday night and believed both Japan and China were “doing fine.” His call with the Japanese leader came shortly after he spoke with Xi.
Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated after China condemned Takaichi’s November 7 response to parliamentary questioning, in which she said that a military strike on Taiwan could create a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. The remarks were widely interpreted as implying that her administration might authorize the Self-Defense Forces to support the United States in the event of a blockade or other coercive measures by China against Taiwan.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Takaichi said she reaffirmed strong Japan–US coordination during her conversation with Trump but declined to provide further details, including whether her Taiwan-related comments were discussed.
Beijing maintains that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must eventually be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary, and insists the matter is strictly an “internal affair.” (ANI)
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