Washington: US President Donald Trump urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday to tone down her statements regarding Taiwan after a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping,

According to Anadolu Agency, citing officials familiar discussions with the sequence of these talks has sparked concerns in Tokyo about whether Washington might prioritize trade stability with Beijing over regional security. President Xi, upset by Takaichi's recent warning that Japan could engage militarily if China attacked Taiwan, spent a significant portion of their hour-long call emphasizing Beijing's claim to Taiwan, described by Chinese officials as a crucial element of the post-World War II order. They also highlighted the joint responsibility of the United States and China to ensure global stability.

Later, Trump advised Takaichi to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing over Taiwan's sovereignty. Although he did not request her to retract her comments, his suggestion to 'lower the volume' alarmed Japanese officials. They perceived it as an indication that Taiwan-related tensions could jeopardize a recently achieved US-China trade agreement, which includes China's commitment to purchase more American agricultural products-a sensitive political issue for Trump, who has frequently touted these purchases as beneficial for US farmers.

In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Trump praised US-China relations and emphasized the positive implications for US agriculture. "The United States' relationship with China is very good, and that's also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally," he noted, adding, "Anything good for our farmers is good for me."

In response, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara dismissed the report as "not true" during his regular news conference in Tokyo and stated that Tokyo had filed a request with The Wall Street Journal concerning the article. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun remarked that the phone call was a bilateral matter between the US and Japan while reiterating that the "Taiwan question is China's internal affair, and it brooks no external interference."

Takaichi's earlier comments to lawmakers on November 7 led to an immediate backlash from Beijing, including retaliatory economic measures and inflammatory remarks from a Chinese diplomat on social media. The escalation came at a sensitive time, with Trump aiming to preserve fragile trade progress with Xi before several planned meetings next year.

In Japan's parliament on Wednesday, Takaichi appeared to temper her remarks, stating she had not intended to specify details regarding a Taiwan contingency. Analysts suggest that the order of Trump's calls-first with Xi, then with Takaichi-might indicate a willingness to restrain a US ally on a core security issue to protect economic gains with Beijing.

Matthew Goodman from the Council on Foreign Relations noted, "The order of the calls is interesting and likely raised some eyebrows in Tokyo." While both Washington and Tokyo maintain that Taiwan's future should not be determined by force, US-China trade tensions and the strategic significance of the Taiwan Strait are becoming increasingly intertwined.

A source close to the White House indicated that trade was a central topic in Trump's conversation with Xi, particularly concerns over China's delays in purchasing millions of tons of US soybeans as previously promised. Trump later informed reporters that Xi had agreed to expedite these purchases.

For Xi, however, Taiwan remained the predominant issue. Although he did not directly ask Trump to pressure Japan, his references to the postwar order were widely interpreted as a pointed reminder of Japan's wartime legacy and Beijing's sensitivity to Tokyo's recent comments. US policy continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the Taiwan Strait status quo, with the State Department describing China as 'the single greatest threat to peace and stability' in the region.