Trump's account on Truth Social

The Japanese government has denied reports by the U.S. daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that U.S. President Donald Trump advised Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a phone call on the 25th not to provoke China over the Taiwan issue.

Speaking at a press conference on the afternoon of the 27th, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, who also serves as the Japanese government spokesperson, stated in response to a question about the WSJ report, "While the report states that President Trump advised Prime Minister Takaichi not to provoke the Chinese government on the issue of Taiwan's sovereignty, I want to make it clear that no such conversation took place."

Regarding whether the government would request a retraction of the report, Kato said, "Since no such facts exist, we have conveyed this point to the WSJ," effectively indicating a protest.

Earlier in the day, Kato had been reticent during a press conference, stating, "As the detailed contents of the meeting (phone call) are diplomatic conversations, I will refrain from commenting." He then changed his stance in the afternoon, explaining his reason for denying the report by saying, "As there were many inquiries to the government, we judged it necessary to clarify that the article's content is not true."

In relation to the WSJ report, a Japanese government official told NHK, "There was a nuance in the conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Takaichi about cooperating to de-escalate the situation," adding, "(The U.S.) did not demand restraint."

Previously, the WSJ reported on the 26th (local time), citing U.S. and Japanese government officials, that President Trump mentioned to Prime Minister Takaichi during a phone call the need to lower the tone of his remarks regarding Taiwan.

However, Kyodo News, citing a Japanese government official, reported that President Trump expressed concern about the Sino-Japanese confrontation during his phone call with Prime Minister Takaichi and requested that he avoid escalating the conflict.

According to this, President Trump mentioned the importance of maintaining Sino-Japanese relations and stated, "There is a need to manage it." He is not known to have demanded that Prime Minister Takaichi retract his suggestion of "intervention in case of contingency in Taiwan," which became the cause of the Sino-Japanese conflict.

Kyodo News added, "It appears that the Sino-Japanese confrontation has evolved into a diplomatic issue that draws in the United States, not just between the two countries," and "President Trump appears to be wary of tensions between China and Japan affecting U.S.-China relations, as he prioritizes trade negotiations with China."

Amid the deepening Sino-Japanese conflict, President Trump spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Takaichi consecutively on the 24th and 25th.

Within Japan, there are reports of growing unease due to President Trump not clearly expressing his stance of supporting the ally Japan on this matter.

Meanwhile, regarding the Chinese Embassy in Japan's request for Chinese nationals in Japan to exercise caution for their safety the previous day, Kato stated, "I will refrain from commenting on each individual matter," and indicated that the government would continue to monitor the situation and refute any Chinese claims that contradict the facts.

The Japanese Consulate General in Hong Kong posted on social media (SNS) on the previous day, "We offer our sincere condolences" in relation to the apartment fire tragedy that occurred in Hong Kong.

Yonhap