Trump urged Japan PM to avoid escalation in China dispute, sources say

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to avoid further escalation of the dispute with China during a phone call this week, two Japanese government sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Takaichi triggered the biggest diplomatic row with Beijing in years when he told parliament earlier this month that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japanese military action.

Trump’s meeting with Takaichi on November 25 followed a meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, in which the Chinese leader said Taiwan’s “return to China” was an important part of Beijing’s vision of world order, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported.
China claims to govern Taiwan democratically and has not ruled out using force to seize control of it. The island’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says only Taiwanese people can decide their own future.

Trump’s call for Takaichi to reduce the volume of conflict was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

“The United States has very good relations with China, and it is also very good for Japan, our dear and close ally,” the White House said in response to questions from Reuters. he said. The Japanese Prime Minister’s Office raised questions about the text of the earlier official call, which stated that the two leaders discussed US-China relations without detailing them.