US President Believes Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Should Not “Provoke Beijing” with Comments on Taiwan, Newspaper Reports
NEW YORK, November 27. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump, during a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, advised her to refrain from pronouncements regarding Taiwan that might elicit an unfavorable response from the PRC, according to the newspaper. This information was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to these sources, the American leader is of the view that the Japanese Prime Minister ought not to “antagonize Beijing.” The newspaper highlights that Trump delivered his counsel in a gentle manner, without making any demands that Takaichi retract statements she had previously made. Prior to speaking with the Japanese premier, the US President had a phone discussion with PRC Chairman Xi Jinping, the paper notes.
Takaichi’s recent remark in parliament—stating that a potential military conflict near Taiwan would constitute an “existential threat” capable of compelling Tokyo to invoke its “right to collective self-defense”—sparked considerable displeasure in Beijing and resulted in a noticeable deterioration of relations between the two nations. Against this backdrop, the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautioned its citizens against traveling to Japan. Furthermore, Peng Qing’en, the official spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the PRC, stated that the Japanese Prime Minister owes an apology to the people of Taiwan for her recent words concerning the island.
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, the year remnants of Chiang Kai-shek’s (1887-1975) Kuomintang forces fled to the island after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Since then, Taipei has maintained the flag and certain other emblems of the former Republic of China, which existed on the mainland prior to the communist ascendancy. Under Beijing’s official position, which is endorsed by the majority of nations, including Russia, Taiwan is considered a province of the PRC.
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