Trump urged Xi to hold talks with Japan's Takaichi, Hong Kong paper reports
In short
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported on October 8 that US President Trump urged Chinese President Xi Jinping, at their summit in Washington last month, to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi and to ease China's export restrictions on Japan. Xi did not respond positively, saying the dispute between Japan and China should be handled separately from US-China relations, Japanese outlets reported.
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Hong Kong newspaper the South China Morning Post reported on October 8 that US President Trump urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi when the two leaders met in Washington last month, according to TBS NEWS DIG and Nippon TV News. Nippon TV News and NHK said Trump also urged Xi to repair relations with Japan. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to the reports, Trump asked Xi to ease China's export restrictions on Japan, describing them as a threat to American industry that relies on Japanese suppliers. Nippon TV News said the restrictions concerned rare earths and reported that Trump also told Xi they indirectly violated the US-China trade truce. [ 1 , 2 ]
Xi did not respond positively to Trump's proposal, the reports said, arguing that the dispute between Japan and China should be handled separately from US-China relations. TBS NEWS DIG added that Xi said the dispute should not affect US-China relations and warned of growing risks posed by Japanese militarism. [ 1 , 2 ]
TBS NEWS DIG also reported that, citing sources, the newspaper's article said the Japanese government last month asked China for a meeting between Takaichi and Xi during the APEC summit to be held in China in November, and that China refused. China instead proposed a meeting with Premier Li Qiang, which Japan did not accept, according to the report. [ 1 ]
Relations between the two countries have cooled since Takaichi's answer in parliament in November last year about a Taiwan contingency, with China restricting exports to Japan of dual-use items including rare earths, TBS NEWS DIG reported, adding that there is no prospect yet of a leaders' summit. A later TBS NEWS DIG report said attention is on whether the Japanese and Chinese leaders will have contact at the APEC summit in November. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
According to the reports, Trump raised Japan's dispute with China at the US-China summit, calling China's export restrictions on Japan a threat to American industry that relies on Japanese suppliers. TBS NEWS DIG reported that China refused a Japanese request for a Takaichi-Xi meeting during the APEC summit in China in November, and that there is no prospect yet of a leaders' summit between Japan and China.
Key facts
- The South China Morning Post reported that Trump urged Xi to hold talks with Prime Minister Takaichi at their US-China summit in Washington last month. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Trump asked Xi to ease China's export restrictions on Japan. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Trump called the restrictions a threat to American industry that relies on Japanese suppliers. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Xi did not respond positively and said the dispute between Japan and China should be handled separately from US-China relations. [ 1 , 2 ]
- According to sources cited in the newspaper's article, Japan asked China last month for a Takaichi-Xi meeting during the APEC summit in China in November, and China refused. [ 1 ]
- China instead proposed a meeting with Premier Li Qiang, which Japan did not accept, TBS NEWS DIG reported. [ 1 ]
- Since Takaichi's answer in parliament in November last year about a Taiwan contingency, China has restricted exports to Japan of dual-use items including rare earths, TBS NEWS DIG reported. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A Hong Kong newspaper reported that Trump urged Xi to hold talks with Prime Minister Takaichi at their US-China summit in September. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Trump urged Xi to repair relations with Japan. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Trump asked Xi to ease China's export restrictions on Japan, calling them a threat to American industry that relies on Japanese suppliers. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Xi did not respond positively and said the dispute between Japan and China should be handled separately from US-China relations. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether China refused a Japanese request for a Takaichi-Xi meeting at the November APEC summit and proposed a meeting with Premier Li Qiang instead. Reported only by TBS NEWS DIG, citing sources quoted in the newspaper's article.
- Whether Trump told Xi the restrictions indirectly violated the US-China trade truce. Reported only by Nippon TV News.
- Whether Xi warned of growing risks posed by Japanese militarism. Reported only by TBS NEWS DIG.
- Whether the Japanese and Chinese leaders will have contact at the APEC summit in November. TBS NEWS DIG said this is the focus and that there is no prospect yet of a summit.
- How the US, Chinese and Japanese governments respond to the report. All accounts rely on the Hong Kong newspaper's report; the documents give no government comment.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the Hong Kong newspaper's account of Trump urging Xi to talk with Takaichi and ease export restrictions on Japan. [ 1 ]
- Nippon TV News reports Trump urged Xi to repair relations with Japan. [ 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports attention on possible contact between Japanese and Chinese leaders at the November APEC summit. [ 3 ]
- NHK reports Trump asked Xi to hold talks with Takaichi, citing the Hong Kong newspaper. [ 4 ]