Japan protested a report published Wednesday (November 26) on the online edition of The Wall Street Journal, dismissing US President Trump's call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in which he asked Japan not to provoke Beijing on the issue of Taiwan's sovereignty as "nonsense."
Following his phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday (24th), Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi on Tuesday (25th). After the call, Takaichi declined to answer whether Trump had mentioned Sino-Japanese relations.
In response to the Wall Street Journal's sudden comment, Japanese Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated at a press conference on Thursday (27th): "The details of the meeting fall under the diplomatic sphere, and I will not comment on them." He also protested the Wall Street Journal's report at another press conference.
He said, "The government has received many inquiries. We believe it is necessary to clarify." He clarified that the report, citing sources, that "Trump advised against provoking China on the Taiwan issue" was untrue. He revealed that he had lodged a protest with the Wall Street Journal regarding this matter.
Japanese media quoted Trump as saying in an interview with the Wall Street Journal: "We have important trade agreements with Japan, China, South Korea, and many other countries, and the world is at peace. Let's keep it that way... The U.S.-China relationship is very good, and that's good for our ally, Japan."
It is generally believed that if Trump were to offer any advice, it would primarily stem from U.S. trade interests. Firstly, the U.S.-China trade negotiations are nearing completion. Secondly, the U.S. is also urging China to postpone tightening restrictions on rare earth exports and to implement the planned U.S.-China summit visit next year. Furthermore, considering next year's U.S. midterm elections, he hopes China will increase its purchases of U.S. agricultural products to bolster American farmers' support for him.
In response to inquiries from foreign media, Professor Masahiro Maejima, a specialist in American political science at Sophia University, pointed out: "For Trump, the US-China relationship is of paramount importance, and Japan has always been used as a bargaining chip to maintain this relationship. Trump certainly expects Japan to handle its relationship with China properly."
Kaohsiung City's remarks on November 7 regarding a potential conflict in Taiwan have sparked widespread controversy. She stated that if China were to use force against Taiwan, it could create a situation that "threatens Japan's survival." She also argued that, theoretically, collective self-defense, including the use of force by the Self-Defense Forces, is possible. This statement, a departure from the ambiguous wording of previous prime ministers, is seen by China as crossing a red line on the Taiwan issue.
Regarding Kaohsiung City's remarks on Taiwan, Japanese media noted that US Ambassador to Japan Glass expressed support for Japan on the social media platform X. However, neither Trump nor Secretary of State Rubio has commented.
Japanese commentators believe that if this is Trump sending a strong signal that he "hopes to improve relations with China," it presents a difficult "Sino-Japanese diplomatic" dilemma for Takashi, who is taking a hard line against China.
On the 26th, when answering a question from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party in the Diet regarding Sino-Japanese relations, Takaichi declined to say much, only replying, "Japan has always maintained a constructive and open attitude towards China. I have a responsibility to establish a more comprehensive and positive relationship through dialogue and to safeguard national interests to the greatest extent possible."
Regarding the definition of "threat to survival" that is seen as crossing China's red line, she replied: "I answered truthfully in my last parliamentary debate regarding specific cases. The government's official position is to make judgments based on all information and the specific circumstances of each incident."
Regarding Takaichi's response, Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said, "He no longer gives many specific examples, which I think is actually a withdrawal (from the conversation)."
In fact, Kaohsiung's tough stance on China has garnered her even greater applause from conservative voters in Japan. Recent polls also highlight that her statements have not affected her approval ratings.
In an interview, freelance writer Eitaro Tokumoto, who focuses on Sino-Japanese relations, believes that repairing Sino-Japanese relations will take time. He pointed out that it's far from easy for the arrogant Kaohsiung Mayor to lower his stance and immediately revise his statements. He speculated that China's dissatisfaction with Kaohsiung Mayor began in late October when he posted a photo of himself shaking hands with the Taiwanese representative during the APEC summit in South Korea. Furthermore, Kaohsiung Mayor's first meeting with Xi Jinping, during which he expressed "serious concern" about the situation in the Taiwan Strait and the human rights situation in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, was enough to anger Beijing.