Japanese PM Reportedly Wants to Call Trump Worried about US Compromise on Taiwan in China

Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Sanae Takaichi/DOK FOTO via Instagram @takaichi_sanae

JAKARTA - The Japanese government is monitoring the results of the meeting between the United States and China, amid concerns that US President Donald Trump will make concessions regarding the issue of Taiwan in exchange for a trade deal.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, whose remarks on Taiwan in November 2025 soured relations with Beijing, is considering reaching out to Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, a senior Japanese official said.

Reported by Xinhua News Agency, Xi told Trump in their closed-door meeting that the two countries would experience clashes, even conflicts, which could completely damage relations; unless the US properly handles the Taiwan issue.

As for PM Takaichi, in front of members of parliament, he said an attack on Taiwan could trigger a response from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to support the US. Tokyo is also very concerned about Beijing's increasingly "arbitrary" actions in the region.

The US government has stated that it does not support Taiwan's independence. Meanwhile, Japan emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and encouraged the issue to be resolved through dialogue.

Japan also maintains non-governmental relations with Taiwan.

"The prime minister (Takaichi) can talk to Trump through the telephone channel," said the senior Japanese official.

Through these discussions, Japan will listen to the views expressed at the meeting to establish a comprehensive analysis and assessment.

"You can't guess what Trump will say," a senior official at the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Donald Trump made a two-day visit to China for a meeting with Xi Jinping, becoming the first US president to visit China in nearly 10 years.

Meanwhile, Japan is increasingly facing pressure from China which implements export controls on civilian commodities that can also be used for military purposes (dual-use), which likely includes rare earth commodities.

Trump and Xi's meeting is expected to discuss a range of topics with significant implications for Japan, including the US-Israeli war on Iran and China's control of rare earth commodities.

"We must really pay attention to which areas they have managed to agree on and where an agreement has not been reached," a Japanese official said.