U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are reportedly in the final stages of arranging a phone call on the 25th. It comes a day after Trump spoke with China President Xi Jinping.

As China-Japan relations tread on thin ice after Prime Minister Takaichi's recent remark about the potential for involvement in a "Taiwan contingency (state of emergency)," attention is on what message Trump will send based on his conversation with Xi.

President Donald Trump of the United States speaks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan, on the 28th of last month. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

Japan's Fuji News Network (FNN) reported on the 25th, citing a government official, that "at the suggestion of President Trump's side, a phone call between Prime Minister Takaichi and Trump is being arranged." The call is expected to take place in the morning. This call is largely seen as Trump sharing with Japan the details of his conversation with Xi Jinping the previous day, on the 24th.

China has strongly protested Prime Minister Takaichi's recent remarks on Taiwan. Takaichi has shown a hard-line, hawkish stance on China-related security issues. In this context, the diplomatic sequence is unfolding with the U.S. and China leaders first making contact, followed by a call between the U.S. and Japan leaders.

Earlier, President Trump held a phone call with Xi on the 24th. According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Xi argued in the call that "Taiwan's return to China is an important component of the postwar international order." In response, President Trump said, "The United States understands how important the Taiwan issue is to China," according to the Chinese side. If Chinese media reports are accurate, it could be interpreted as Trump respecting China's asserted "red line" on the Taiwan issue.

However, it remains unclear what actions President Trump will actually take. Right after the call, Trump briefly wrote on his social media that the call with Xi was "meaningful," but did not mention the Taiwan issue at all. Some Western media noted that the possibility cannot be ruled out that state-run Chinese outlets selectively released only remarks favorable to China.

From left, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka of Indonesia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Premier Li Qiang of China, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia pose for a photo at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the 22nd. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

Japan's government is maintaining a cautious stance. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Gihara said at a briefing, "Stability in U.S.-China relations is very important to the international community, including Japan," offering a general position. On the details of Trump's remarks released by the Chinese side, he said, "I will refrain from commenting on each and every point," avoiding specific comment.

Experts see this call as a potential barometer for the future security landscape in Northeast Asia. FNN analyzed that "the biggest question is what kind of perception President Trump will show Prime Minister Takaichi regarding the Taiwan issue."

Another variable is that Japan's conservative base is firmly rallied, as seen in the Takaichi Cabinet's approval rating reaching 75.2% one month after its launch. Attention is on whether Trump will relay Xi's warning and ask Prime Minister Takaichi to "slow down," or present a new proposal for U.S.-Japan-South Korea coordination.

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