Trump Urges Japan: Don’t Agitate China Over Taiwan

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump warned Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi against escalating tensions with China after her comments on a possible military response to a hypothetical Chinese move on Taiwan.

The request came during a phone call this week, according to two Japanese government sources cited by Reuters.

Earlier this month, Takaichi told Japan's parliament that any potential Chinese attack against Taiwan could prompt Japanese military action, marking the most significant diplomatic row with Beijing in years, and drew a strong response from Chinese officials, who demanded a retraction.

The call between Trump and Takaichi took place on Tuesday, during which the US president expressed his desire to avoid further aggravating relations with Beijing, according to Reuters sources.

One official noted that while Trump did not issue specific demands, he made clear that a measured approach would help preserve the fragile truce in the ongoing trade conflict with China.

The conversation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and followed an earlier call Trump had held with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In the call with Trump, Xi emphasized that Taiwan’s "return to China" was central to Beijing's global vision, according to a report by China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Taiwan which maintains its own self-governance rejected reunification, angering Beijing, which demanded a retraction of Takaichi’s comments; she stood firm, though Japan later confirmed its Taiwan policy remains unchanged.

An editorial published Thursday in the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party urged the US to rein in Japan, warning against any steps seen as reviving militarism and citing their shared WWII history.

In a statement attributed to Trump, the White House emphasized strong ties between the US and Japan: "The United States’ relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally."

When asked for comment, the office of Japan’s prime minister referred Reuters to its earlier official readout of the Trump-Takaichi call. That statement noted that the two leaders had discussed US-China relations but offered no further details.