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U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to avoid any further escalation with China, following a sharp diplomatic rupture triggered by her recent remarks on Taiwan, according to two Japanese government sources familiar with the call.
Takaichi provoked what officials described as the most serious diplomatic clash with Beijing in years when she told Japan’s parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt Japanese military intervention. The comments infuriated Beijing, which claims the self-governed island as its own territory.
Trump’s call with Takaichi on 25 November came shortly after his separate conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to China’s Xinhua news agency, Xi told Trump that Taiwan’s “return to China” formed a central part of Beijing’s vision for the global order.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, while the island’s government insists that only its people have the right to determine their political future.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump had pressed Takaichi to moderate her stance, and this account was later corroborated by the two Japanese sources cited by Reuters.
Responding to Reuters’ questions, the White House emphasised that Washington was maintaining constructive ties with Beijing while reaffirming its alliance with Tokyo.
“The United States' relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally,” it said.
The diplomatic fallout continues to reverberate across the region, with both Tokyo and Washington working to manage tensions at a moment of heightened sensitivity over cross-Strait relations. - November 27, 2025