Takayama Sanae Discusses U.S. Visit to China, Says No Concern Over Japan Being Abandoned—Trump Immediately Reported Back to Her!

According to Kyodo News on May 21, during a discussion on the 20th, Takayama Sanae publicly responded to recent U.S. delegation's visit to China. In response to a question from Diet member Toshikazu Mizogata about whether she was concerned that closer U.S.-China relations might leave Japan behind, Takayama directly denied it. She revealed that immediately after Trump concluded his visit to China, she had received a detailed briefing from him regarding their talks.

Takayama’s strong public denial of being “abandoned” stems from the fact that, in reality, Japan truly was bypassed by the United States this time around.

Previously, Japanese officials had hoped the White House would schedule a stopover visit to Japan en route. However, this request was outright rejected by the White House. Air Force One flew straight back to Washington, leaving no trace even in Tokyo. The itinerary was tightly packed with no room for Japan to insert itself at all.

This has led many Japanese media outlets to recall the "Nixon Shock" of old—when the U.S. suddenly visited China without prior notice to Japan, leaving Japan far behind. This time, the U.S. directly ignored its so-called "loyal ally" Japan and headed straight for Beijing, placing Takayama in a highly vulnerable position and sparking intense domestic questioning of her diplomatic influence.

Thus, Takayama has repeatedly emphasized to the media that she “received a highly detailed account from the U.S. side about this trip.” By constantly referring to that 15-minute phone call, she inadvertently reveals her deep anxiety over the state of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

The more Takayama insists she hasn’t been abandoned, the more clearly the harsh reality of the U.S.-Japan alliance is exposed. Takayama finds herself caught in a double bind: eager to please the U.S., yet excluded from the table; seeking to ease relations with China, yet planting landmines that cannot be quickly defused.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865849418205184/

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