TOKYO: President Donald Trump invited Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to america throughout a cellphone name late on Friday (Jan 2) they usually agreed to work in direction of a gathering early this 12 months, officers stated.
Trump has already stated he’ll go to China in April, with Tokyo and Beijing in dispute over Takaichi’s suggestion in November that Japan might intervene militarily in case of any assault on self-ruled Taiwan.
China claims the democratic island as a part of its territory and has threatened to make use of drive to carry it underneath its management.
Takaichi’s feedback triggered a pointy diplomatic backlash from China, which has urged its residents to keep away from travelling to Japan and suspended Japanese seafood imports.
She and Trump spoke for 25 minutes, agreeing to additional strengthen financial and safety cooperation, the international ministry in Tokyo stated in an announcement.
Trump invited Takaichi to go to america and “the 2 leaders concurred to coordinate intimately to understand the go to to america this spring”, it stated.
The assertion didn’t clarify whether or not they talked about China, however Trump and Takaichi additionally “exchanged views primarily on the Indo-Pacific area and confirmed the shut cooperation between Japan and america”, it stated.
China launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels around Taiwan in live-fire drills last week.
The drills drew a refrain of worldwide criticism, together with from Japan, Australia and European international locations.
Trump suggested Takaichi to not provoke China over Taiwan of their earlier cellphone name on Nov 25, the Wall Road Journal reported, however Tokyo denied the report.
