On December 7, the Financial Times cited statements from current and former U.S. and Japanese officials saying that after Takahashi Harumi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan angered China and led to a strong response from Beijing, Japan became frustrated with the U.S.'s "lack of support" and urged Washington to give Takahashi more "public support." According to sources, Japan's ambassador to the United States, Yamada Shigeki, has asked the Trump administration to increase its public support for Japan.
The report noted that after the diplomatic dispute between China and Japan, although the U.S. expressed some "support" for Takahashi, such as when U.S. Ambassador to Japan Glass stated on November 20 that he "represented the President's support for Takahashi," there was little other direct public endorsement from the U.S.
Notably, on the evening of November 24, following U.S. initiative, Chinese and U.S. leaders had a phone call. Soon after, President Trump also proactively requested a call with Japan. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on November 26, Trump criticized Takahashi during the call, urging her not to provoke China over the Taiwan issue. Japanese officials considered this message "concerning."
Additionally, during the ongoing Sino-Japanese diplomatic dispute, the Financial Times, citing multiple sources on December 4, reported that the U.S. has temporarily suspended plans to sanction Chinese agencies and their contractors by exploiting so-called "cyberattacks" in order to avoid undermining the "trade truce" atmosphere reached between the U.S. and China at the end of October.
The report also cited current and former U.S. officials who said that this move was intended to avoid disrupting the gradual easing of U.S.-China relations. Several U.S. officials and other sources revealed that after the summit between the two leaders in Busan, the U.S. government would not impose new major export restrictions on China, and Trump did not want his possible visit to China in April next year to be affected.
Local time October 28, 2025, Yokosuka, Japan, U.S. President Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Harumi aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during his visit to the U.S. Navy Yokosuka base. IC Photo
According to a report, a Japanese official told the Financial Times that Tokyo does not believe the U.S. will waver in its commitment to Japan, but he added that Japan was deeply disappointed by the lack of public support from U.S. senior officials.
Christopher Johnstone, who previously served as a senior official for Japan in the White House, claimed that the U.S. should have welcomed Takahashi's statement that if the U.S. military were attacked while "defending Taiwan," Japan would provide assistance.
"This is the most explicit statement by the Japanese Prime Minister regarding Japan's obligations to the U.S. in the context of the Taiwan Strait situation," Johnstone, now a consultant at the Asia Group, said: "Regardless of whether it was wise to make this statement publicly, Washington should have welcomed it. However, apart from a message released by the U.S. Embassy in Japan, the U.S. remained almost silent on the matter."
The report noted that some people find it ironic that given the U.S. Department of Defense Deputy Secretary of Policy, Pentagon's third-highest-ranking official Elbridge Colby had previously urged Japan to clarify its role if "the Taiwan Strait conflict broke out," the U.S. now lacks support.
Previously, U.S. officials had also told Japan that the U.S. would issue a "strong statement." However, according to sources, Japan was later disappointed because the so-called "strong statement" seemed to be only a post on the social media platform X by a deputy spokesperson of the U.S. State Department.
This week, Christopher Landau, the second-highest-ranking official in the U.S. foreign service, and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Funakoshi Masahiro held a phone call. The U.S. State Department said that Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance, but the call did not mention China's strong response to Takahashi's remarks.
The Financial Times reported that although Trump visited Japan in late October and established a friendly relationship with Takahashi, he did not publicly express support for her. When asked about Japan's request for more support, the White House simply said that Trump described his relationship with Takahashi as "good," while the U.S. State Department cited a message posted by its spokesperson on X platform.
"The White House and the U.S. State Department have made no public statement supporting Takahashi Harumi, which is puzzling and must have caused concern in Tokyo," said Dennis Wilder, a senior advisor on Asian affairs during the Bush administration.
On November 10, Trump was asked by Fox News host about the "diplomatic storm" between China and Japan, and he responded with a sharp remark to his allies, saying, "Many of our allies are not really our friends; they take advantage of us in trade more than China."
As for the call with Trump at the end of last month, Takahashi has remained silent, merely stating "details cannot be disclosed," and the Japanese government's official statements have been vague and evasive.
However, on December 5, the Japanese magazine Weekly Bunshun posted on social media that a Japanese government official revealed, "In fact, Trump was quite harsh with us. He even said something equivalent to 'don't interfere with the Taiwan issue.'"
Randy Schriver, chairman of the Indo-Pacific Security Institute and the highest-ranking official in the Pentagon responsible for Asian affairs during Trump's first term, came forward, claiming that the White House should have "appropriately" defended Takahashi.
"Japan is an indispensable ally of the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific region," said Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China during the Biden administration, who simultaneously denounced "China's attempt to intimidate Takahashi and weaken the U.S.-Japan alliance," and called on the U.S. government to "give her full public support."
After Takahashi Harumi made erroneous remarks on Taiwan and refused to retract them, China issued travel and study warnings to Japan due to issues related to public security and product quality safety, and suspended imports of Japanese seafood, which some Japanese media considered countermeasures.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Takahashi Harumi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan damaged the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations, and China has the right to respond. Japan should first retract its erroneous statements and take concrete actions to maintain the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations. Otherwise, China will have no choice but to take further measures.
However, Japan has not shown remorse and continues to provoke incidents.
On December 6, local time, the Japanese Ministry of Defense stated that the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier group passed through the Miyako Strait on the same day, entered the Pacific Ocean, and conducted carrier aircraft landing operations. On the same day, Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro "added drama" by claiming that Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft were "continuously radar-sighted" by Chinese military aircraft in international waters, and stated that he had lodged a protest with China, but did not mention the actions of Japanese aircraft at that time.
Photos taken by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces of the Chinese Liaoning aircraft carrier and the Kaifeng ship, Japanese Ministry of Defense General Staff Office
According to a WeChat official account "People's Navy" on December 7, Rear Admiral Wang Xuemeng, a naval news spokesperson of the People's Liberation Army, stated that the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier group recently conducted normal training of carrier-based fighter jets in the sea area east of the Miyako Strait, and had previously announced the training sea and air area.
During the training, Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft repeatedly approached the Chinese Navy's training sea and air area, seriously affecting the normal training and endangering flight safety. The Japanese side's hype is completely inconsistent with the facts, and we solemnly demand that Japan immediately stop spreading false information and strictly constrain frontline actions. The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7581029429854372394/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.