U.S. President Donald Trump has advised Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi not to allow the ongoing tensions with China to escalate further. According to multiple officials familiar with the conversation, the two leaders discussed the issue during a phone call earlier this week, Reuters reported.
Earlier this month, Takaichi told parliament that a potential Chinese military move on Taiwan could become a threat to Japan’s survival. Under Japan’s constitution, such a scenario would legally allow the country to deploy its military. Her remarks triggered one of the most serious diplomatic rifts between Beijing and Tokyo in recent years.
Two Japanese government officials said on Tuesday that Trump asked Takaichi to avoid any further escalation. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, they declined to be named.
One of the officials clarified that Trump did not make any specific demands, nor did he ask Takaichi to retract her comments in alignment with Beijing’s position. Japan has already stated that Takaichi’s remarks reflect its long-standing national policy.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Trump’s suggestion to Takaichi to reduce tensions.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara refused to comment on the matter on Thursday.
Several officials in Tokyo fear that Trump, in pursuit of trade deals with China, may scale back U.S. support for Taiwan — a move that could embolden Beijing and heighten instability in East Asia.
Kazuhiro Maezima, an expert on U.S. politics at Sophia University, said Trump’s primary focus is the U.S.-China relationship. Japan, he added, has often been treated as a strategic tool or “card” within that bilateral relationship.
The call between Trump and Takaichi came shortly after Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During that conversation, Xi reportedly said that reunification with Taiwan is central to China’s vision for the global order.
Democratically governed Taiwan has long rejected Beijing’s territorial claims, insisting that the island’s future can only be determined by its own people. Taipei has dismissed the idea of “reunification” outright.
Trump has not publicly disclosed details about his Taiwan-related discussion with Xi. Instead, he emphasized the “very strong” U.S.-China relationship and said that work on a comprehensive trade agreement is underway.
A White House statement quoted Trump as saying:
“America’s relationship with China is very good — and that is good for our close ally Japan as well. We have reached excellent trade deals with Japan, China, South Korea and many other countries, and the world is now at peace. Let’s keep it that way!”
Trump’s silence regarding the rising disputes with China has heightened concerns in Tokyo, especially after Beijing advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan — a move that has already hit Japan’s tourism sector.
Many analysts believe that Trump is more focused on preserving last month’s fragile trade understanding with Xi and avoiding any disputes ahead of his upcoming visit to Beijing.
