Japan Denies Trump Asked PM Not To Provoke Beijing

Authored by Dorothy Li via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Japan has refuted a report indicating that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi received advice from U.S. President Donald Trump to refrain from provoking the Chinese regime over Taiwan.

Trump and Takaichi spoke by phone on the evening of Nov. 24, their first conversation since the Chinese communist regime ramped up its pressure campaign against Japan following Takaichi’s remarks suggesting that a crisis in Taiwan could pose a threat to Japan.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing anonymous sources, reported on Nov. 27 that Trump had advised the Japanese prime minister “not to provoke Beijing on the question of Taiwan’s sovereignty” during the call. The report described Trump’s advice as subtle, saying that he did not pressure Takaichi to withdraw her comment.

When asked about the WSJ report at a briefing on the morning of Nov. 27, Minoru Kihara, the Japanese government’s top spokesperson, declined to comment on the meeting between Takaichi and Trump, saying it’s a matter of diplomatic exchanges. 

However, at a regular press conference hours later, Kihara said he found it necessary to clarify this matter.

“In the article you mentioned, there is a description that President Trump advised not to provoke the Chinese government on the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty, but I would like to make it clear that there is no such fact,” Kihara told reporters when asked about the WSJ report.

He confirmed that Tokyo had reached out to the U.S. media outlet regarding this article.

Kihara at the briefings on Nov. 27 was not asked about other reports containing similar claims. Those include a Reuters report saying that Trump asked Takaichi not to further escalate the dispute with Beijing, citing two unnamed Japanese government sources. The report added that Trump did not present any specific demands to Takaichi.

Japanese media outlet Kyodo News also reported that during the phone call with Takaichi, Trump advised her to refrain from escalating the row with Beijing while emphasizing the importance of managing the relationship between the two Asian neighbors, citing an unnamed government source.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the three reports by publication time.

Takaichi, speaking to reporters shortly after the call with the U.S. president, said they exchanged views on a wide range of topics, including strengthening the Japan–U.S. alliance and addressing challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.

“During the conversation, President Trump provided me with an update on the latest situation in U.S.–China relations, including the U.S.–China summit meeting held yesterday evening,” she told reporters in Tokyo. “I also responded to his question about the recent G20 summit that I attended.”

Takaichi said they affirmed the importance of continued cooperation between Tokyo and Washington under the current international situation.

“President Trump said that he would be willing to receive calls from me at any time as a close friend of his.”

Trump also said that the talk with Takaichi was “great.”

“She’s very smart, she’s very strong, and she’s going to be a great leader,” he said of the Japanese leader aboard Air Force One on Nov. 25, without disclosing the details of the exchange.

The fast-escalating spat between Tokyo and Beijing began on Nov. 7 after Takaichi, in response to a parliamentary committee question, said that a naval blockade against Taiwan may constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. She used a legal term that could enable Japan to mobilize its military.

The comments on a theoretical possibility drew furious responses and violent threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which views self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province to be taken by force if necessary.

China, Japan’s largest trading partner, has turned to economic measures to pressure Japan to retract the prime minister’s comments.

The regime’s foreign ministry has advised tourists against traveling to Japan, and its education ministry has asked students to plan their studies in Japan with caution. Along with postponing the release of Japanese movies in China, Beijing has stated that there is “no market” for Japanese seafood in China.

Amid a deteriorating relationship with China, Takaichi said on Nov. 26 that the government remains open to dialogue with the Chinese side.

As for a Taiwan contingency, she said the government’s stance is that it would evaluate the situation comprehensively, based on the specific circumstances that actually occurred. This position, she said, had been repeatedly stated.

She explained that her initial comments were simply to respond to a question that was limited to a Taiwan contingency and that also mentioned the blockade of sea lanes.

“Since it was asked with specific examples, I answered sincerely within that scope,” she said.