US President Calls for Restraint in Japan-China Dispute
Donald Trump has reportedly advised Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, to avoid further escalating tensions with China during a telephone conversation this week. This development comes after Takaichi sparked the most significant diplomatic confrontation between Tokyo and Beijing in years by suggesting that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japanese military action.
The Diplomatic Fallout Over Taiwan
The controversial remarks, made in parliament earlier this month, drew an angry response from Beijing. China, which claims sovereignty over the democratically governed island, demanded that Takaichi retract her statements. Although the Japanese government maintained that its policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, the Prime Minister has not withdrawn her comments to date.
According to two Japanese government sources who spoke to Reuters, President Trump expressed his desire for Takaichi to avoid further provoking Beijing during their call on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump asked the Japanese leader to 'dial down the volume' in the dispute. Notably, the American president, who is working to maintain a fragile trade war truce with China, did not make any specific demands regarding the matter.
Broader Regional Implications
This diplomatic exchange occurred immediately after Trump's conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During that call, Xi emphasised that Taiwan's 'return to China' represents a fundamental component of Beijing's vision for the global order, as reported by China's official Xinhua news agency. Taiwan, however, firmly rejects Beijing's ownership claim and has stated that reunification is not an option for its 23 million citizens.
In a related development, an editorial in the ruling Communist Party's newspaper urged the United States to restrain Japan to prevent 'actions to revive militarism'. The article highlighted the shared responsibility of China and the US to safeguard the post-war international order, recalling their alliance against Japan during the Second World War.
The White House released a statement affirming that '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 approached for comment, the office of Japan's prime minister directed Reuters to its official readout of the call, which noted that the two leaders discussed US-China relations without providing further details.
