In a phone call between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi and US President Donald Trump, the leaders stressed the close cooperation between the two countries, according to Japanese channel FNN.
The phone call, which took place on Monday (24) night, took place amid one of the most serious recent diplomatic crises between Japan and China.
“In continuation of President Trump’s recent visit to Japan, we were able to once again emphasize the close cooperation between Japan and the United States. President Trump told me that she is a very close friend and that I can call him at any time,” the Japanese leader told reporters.
This was prompted by Takaichi’s speech when responding to an opposition member of parliament about situations in which the Prime Minister activates the country’s Self-Defense Forces. In theory, the leadership responded that China’s military intervention in Taiwan was an example of this. This is because an attack on US warships used to break the Chinese blockade may require Tokyo to intervene to defend the United States, its ally.
The conversation took place shortly after Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone, in a conversation that the American described as good. State media Xinhua reported that one of the main topics of the call was the Asian country’s control over Taiwan.
According to the post, Xi told Trump that “Taiwan’s return to China” is an essential part of the post-war international order.
“China and the United States fought side by side against fascism and militarism, and now they must work together to protect the outcome of World War II,” the agency quoted Xi as saying.
Since Takaishi’s speech, the Chinese regime has taken several steps to pressure the prime minister to back down. He declared that the speech violated diplomatic stability between the two countries, that it crossed borders, and that Japan’s involvement in the issue would lead to a crushing defeat for the People’s Liberation Army.
In response, the Japanese leader stated that she wants to maintain a constructive relationship with China, but reiterated her support for Taiwan if Beijing decides to seize the island by force.
The Chinese mission to the United Nations (UN), through Ambassador and head of the delegation Fu Cong, raised the issue with the organization through a letter sent to Secretary-General António Guterres. In the document, Fu states that Takaichi expresses ambitions to intervene militarily in the Taiwan issue, and threatens to use force against China.
The letter, according to a statement by the Chinese mission, aims to explain in detail the regime’s position regarding Takaishi’s statements before the Japanese Parliament.
“If Japan dares to attempt armed intervention in the (Taiwan) Strait situation, it will commit an act of aggression. China will resolutely exercise its right to self-defense as stipulated in the UN Charter and international law, and will resolutely defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Fu wrote, according to the post.
“This is the first time since Japan’s defeat in 1945 that a Japanese leader has, in an official context, defended the idea that ‘an emergency for Taiwan is an emergency for Japan’ and linked it to the exercise of the right to collective self-defense.”