US President Donald Trump has reportedly urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to avoid further escalation in Japan’s diplomatic tensions with China following her remarks on a potential military response to a hypothetical Chinese operation involving Taiwan. The request came during a phone call this week, according to two Japanese government sources cited by Reuters.

Earlier this month, Takaichi told Japan's parliament that any potential Chinese attack against Taiwan could prompt Japanese military action, marking the most significant diplomatic row with Beijing in years, and drew a strong response from Chinese officials, who demanded a retraction.

The call between Trump and Takaichi took place on Tuesday, during which the US president expressed his desire to avoid further aggravating relations with Beijing, according to Reuters sources. One official noted that while Trump did not issue specific demands, he made clear that a measured approach would help preserve the fragile truce in the ongoing trade conflict with China.

The conversation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and followed an earlier call Trump had held with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In the call with Trump, Xi emphasized that Taiwan’s "return to China" was central to Beijing's global vision, according to a report by China’s official Xinhua news agency. Taiwan, which maintains its own self-governance and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, responded that reunification is not an option for its 23 million people.

Beijing Responds to Japan’s Taiwan Stance

Beijing reacted angrily to Takaichi’s parliamentary comments, asserting that they contradicted international norms and warning of potential consequences.

The Chinese government demanded a retraction, but Takaichi has remained firm, but the Japanese cabinet later clarified that the country’s policy on Taiwan had not changed.

An editorial published Thursday in the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party called on the US to restrain Japan and prevent any steps that could be seen as a revival of militarism. "China and the United States share a common responsibility to jointly safeguard the post-war international order and oppose any attempts or actions to revive militarism," the editorial stated, referencing the shared history of US-China opposition to Japan during World War II.

In a statement attributed to Trump, the White House emphasized strong ties between the US and Japan: "The United States’ relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally."

When asked for comment, the office of Japan’s prime minister referred Reuters to its earlier official readout of the Trump-Takaichi call. That statement noted that the two leaders had discussed US-China relations but offered no further details.