Old image of US President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (AP)
Takaichi, who became leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last month, said Trump had requested their call and “provided an explanation of the recent state of US-China relations,” as reported by Financial Times.She said they discussed strengthening the Japan-US alliance and issues across the Indo-Pacific. “President Trump told me that I am a very close friend of his and that I should feel free to call him at any time,” she said. Her comments came as China reacted strongly to statements she made earlier this month, when she told parliament that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could be viewed as an “existential threat” to Japan, potentially allowing Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to respond. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, denounced her remarks and signaled retaliation by blocking Japanese seafood imports, canceling joint events, and warning its citizens against traveling to Japan.The row deepened after Takaichi said in a major foreign-policy address that a Chinese attempt to blockade or seize Taiwan would be a “direct threat” to Japan’s security and pointed to the country’s mutual defense treaty with the US. Beijing’s response was immediate. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi accused her of sending a “shocking wrong signal” and crossing a “red line.” China’s embassy in Tokyo summoned Japan’s ambassador, and the PLA warned of a “crushing defeat” for any Japanese involvement in a Taiwan conflict.Tensions also framed Monday’s 45-minute call between Xi and Trump. According to China’s Xinhua news agency, Xi raised Taiwan and stressed the importance of “Taiwan’s return to China.” The call was their first since meeting in South Korea in late October. Trump made no mention of Taiwan in his public comments, focusing instead on trade following the one-year truce both leaders reached in the US-China trade war.Analysts say Beijing is appealing directly to Washington to influence Japan’s position. Rorry Daniels of the Asia Society Policy Institute, as cited by Financial Times, said Xi was making a “direct appeal” to Trump and that China “often wants Washington to handle its friction with US allies,” hoping the US can “achieve what Chinese invective has not — a softening or ‘correction’ of Japan’s position.”