Japan Avoids Comment on Whether Trump Asked Not to Provoke China

Japan’s top government spokesperson refrained from directly addressing whether US President Donald Trump advised Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to avoid provoking China over Taiwan, following a report suggesting such an exchange took place.
“I can’t comment further on foreign policy related exchanges,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a regular press conference on Thursday when asked whether the report was true. In this week’s call between Trump and Takaichi, “the two leaders confirmed close cooperation between the US and Japan.”