Japanese Media: "Trump Defended Takaichi After Xi Criticized Her"

[Financial News, Tokyo = Correspondent Seo Hye-jin] Japanese media reported that Donald Trump defended Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after Chinese President Xi Jinping criticized her during the U.S.-China summit in Beijing on the 14th.
On the 24th, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that worsening China-Japan relations were discussed at the U.S.-China summit.
According to multiple Japanese government officials, Xi directly named Prime Minister Takaichi and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te during the talks on the 14th, claiming that they were threatening regional peace. He also pressed Trump not to support the two leaders.
This was the first face-to-face summit between the two leaders since China reacted strongly to the prime minister's remarks in the National Assembly last November on a possible contingency involving Taiwan. The Yomiuri Shimbun interpreted Xi's joint criticism of President Lai and Prime Minister Takaichi as an apparent attempt to drive a wedge into the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Trump, however, did not side with Xi's claims and was said to have shown the view that Prime Minister Takaichi was not a leader worthy of criticism.
The newspaper said many in Japan see Trump's remarks and actions as confirming the close cooperation between the United States and Japan.
A senior Japanese government official said, "By making remarks in front of Xi that showed trust in Prime Minister Takaichi, Trump allowed the United States and Japan to demonstrate their unity to China."
Still, the newspaper said there is growing belief that China-Japan relations will not improve easily, given that Xi explicitly voiced his dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Takaichi at the U.S.-China summit.
Japan is trying to improve China-Japan relations by restarting ministerial-level exchanges on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in China, but it is expected to be difficult to arrange a China-Japan summit in the near term.
The Yomiuri Shimbun also reported that, with three more U.S.-China summits expected before the end of the year, the Japanese government plans to shape its diplomacy toward China based on cooperation with the United States.

sjmary@fnnews.com Seo Hye-jin Reporter