Trump Advises Takaichi Not to Provoke China over Taiwan: WSJ

Washington, Nov. 26 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump has advised Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to temper the tone after she angered China over Taiwan, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. During their recent telephone talks, Trump advised Takaichi not to provoke Beijing on the question of Taiwan’s sovereignty, the U.S. business daily said, based on information from Japanese and U.S. officials. But Trump stopped short of pressuring Takaichi to walk back her comments, the online edition of the newspaper also said. The report came as Japan’s relations with China have been strained since Takaichi made parliamentary remarks that a Taiwan contingency could create a situation that threatens Japan’s survival, allowing the country to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Trump apparently wants the Japan-China tensions over Taiwan not to affect crucial U.S.-China trade negotiations, including on China’s expansion of soybean imports from the United States, the report said. “We signed wonderful trade deals with Japan, China, South Korea, and many other nations, and the world is at peace,” the WSJ quoted Trump as saying in a statement. “Let’s keep it that way!” “The United States relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally,” said the statement from Trump issued by the White House. During a telephone conversation between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that preceded the U.S. president’s talks with Takaichi, Xi spent half of the call explaining China’s basic stance on the Taiwan issue, according to the WSJ report. But Xi did not name Japan or ask the United States to put pressure on Japan, the report said. Asked about facts regarding the Japan-U.S. phone talks, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, “I will not answer the question, as the details are diplomatic exchanges.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]