Tokyo, Sept. 26 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is seeking clarity on Thursday’s U.S.-China summit after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to China as an ally during World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering calling Trump for a direct briefing on the summit, as the president’s remark caused confusion within the Japanese government. “I won’t comment on every word in exchanges between third countries,” Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Trump made the remark during a welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. Xi said that the United States and China stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against Japanese militarist aggression. In an apparent response to Xi’s comment, Takaichi said: “Despite the war, Japan and the United States reconciled and deepened their relations. Now, we can trust each other as allies with very strong bonds.” A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said that Trump’s remarks for China were mere “lip service.” Meanwhile, another Japanese government official said that it was “not a pleasant statement.” Given that Trump has called the United States and China a “G2,” or Group of Two, and has advocated a “Donroe Doctrine,” which puts emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, Japan has been concerned that it could be sidelined by a potential U.S.-China rapprochement. Especially before the U.S. midterm elections in November, Japan has been wary that Trump could accept some of China’s claims, including those regarding Taiwan. Prior to the Trump-Xi summit, Takaichi met with Trump in New York on Tuesday to warn against making easy concessions to China. “The prime minister asked (Trump) not to do whatever China wants on Taiwan and other issues,” a source in the prime minister’s office revealed. The Japanese government appears to have calmly received the outcomes reported so far of the Trump-Xi summit. “There seem to have been no surprises,” said a government official. “The content (of their talks) likely didn’t change from the (previous) U.S.-China summit in May,” said a Foreign Ministry official. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
