Japan has rejected a Wall Street Journal report claiming that U.S. President Donald Trump advised Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi not to provoke China on the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
The dispute between Japan and China escalated after Takaichi suggested earlier this month that Tokyo could consider military involvement should Taiwan—self-governed but claimed by China—face an attack.
According to China’s foreign ministry, President Xi Jinping raised the matter directly with Trump during a phone call on Monday, describing Taiwan’s return as “an integral part of the post-war international order.”
The WSJ reported that after that conversation, Trump spoke with Takaichi and advised her “not to provoke Beijing on the question of the island’s sovereignty,” citing unnamed Japanese officials and an American source.
However, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara dismissed the report.
“There is no such fact,” Kihara said at a routine press briefing, referring to the alleged advice from Trump.
Prime Minister Takaichi later said her conversation with Trump focused on his discussion with Xi and bilateral Japan–U.S. relations, adding that Trump said they were “very close friends” and encouraged her to contact him freely.
The WSJ report suggested officials in Tokyo were concerned, noting that Trump wanted to avoid tensions over Taiwan that might jeopardize a recent de-escalation with China—one that included plans for increased agricultural purchases from the U.S.
Beijing reacted sharply to Takaichi’s earlier remarks made in parliament on November 7, summoning Japan’s ambassador and warning Chinese citizens against traveling to Japan.
The Chinese embassy stated on Wednesday that incidents of Chinese nationals being “insulted, beaten and injured for no reason” had risen. Japan’s foreign ministry refuted claims of increased crime, citing police data showing murder cases halved between January and October compared to 2024.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged Japan to retract Takaichi’s statements, calling them “seriously erroneous.”
“The Japanese side’s attempt to downplay, dodge, and cover up Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks is self-deception. China will never accept this,” Guo said.
