Trump tells Takaichi not to anger China
The US doesn’t want the Sino-Japanese spat to derail Washington’s relationship with Beijing.
- That’s the takeaway from a November 26 scoop by the WSJ claiming US President Donald Trump told Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi not to further provoke China.
Some context: China-Japan relations have nose-dived following Takaichi’s suggestion that Japan could mobilize defense forces in the event of a “Taiwan contingency.”
- Earlier this week, Xi Jinping laid out China’s position on the issue in a call with Trump.
Just hours after his call with Xi, Trump called Takaichi and reportedly asked her not to antagonize China, per Japanese sources (WSJ):
- “Trump…advised her not to provoke Beijing on the question of Taiwan’s sovereignty.”
- “The advice from Trump was subtle, and he didn’t pressure Takaichi to walk back her comments.”
- “The president didn’t want friction over Taiwan to endanger a detente reached last month with Xi.”
Get smart: Assuming the reports are accurate, Trump’s message to Takaichi suggests that America’s defense commitments in the Asia-Pacific are negotiable.
- Beijing may be able to squeeze concessions on a much broader range of issues from the Trump White House than from previous administrations.