WASHINGTON, Nov 26 – U.S. President Donald Trump said he had a “great talk” with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday night and thinks that both Japan and China are “doing fine,” amid an escalating diplomatic row between Asia’s top two economies.
Trump made his first public remarks about their phone conversation, while speaking to reporters on Tuesday aboard Air Force One on his way to Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday. The conversation took place after Trump’s call with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid rising tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan.
“I also had a very good talk with President Xi of China, and I think that part of the world is doing fine,” Trump said.
Shortly after her conversation with Trump, Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo that the U.S. president briefed her on his talks with Xi, without elaborating further.
According to the Chinese government, Xi told Trump that “Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part of the postwar international order” during their call. It also said Trump affirmed the United States’ understanding of the importance of the Taiwan issue to China.
Trump’s calls with Xi and Takaichi came as China has been taking a hard-line stance against her since she suggested on Nov. 7 that an attack on Taiwan could constitute an existential threat to Japan and warrant a response from its Self-Defense Forces.
Trump has not said he and Xi discussed Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary, during the latest call, which lasted about an hour.
Characterizing Takaichi as “very smart” and “very strong,” Trump said Tuesday that the new Japanese prime minister will be a “great leader.” But he did not go into details of his conversation with her.
Meanwhile, Trump said his call with Xi was mostly about trade and China buying more U.S. farm products. Emphasizing his “great relationship” with Xi, Trump said, “I told him, ‘I’d like you to buy it a little faster. I’d like you to buy more. And he more or less agreed to do that.”
During their meeting in South Korea late October, among other deals, Xi agreed to resume purchasing American soybeans, but U.S. officials say the process has been slower than initially expected.
