Trump blindsides key ally with stunning demand

President Donald Trump privately told the prime minister of Japan to back off its aggressive stance against China invading Taiwan, reported the Wall Street Journal — a move that blindsided an allied leader whom Trump generally praises for hawkishness.

"Days after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi outraged China by suggesting a Chinese attack on Taiwan could mobilize a Tokyo military response, Xi spent half of an hourlong phone call with Trump, people briefed on the matter said, hammering home China’s historic claim to the democratic self-governing island as well as Washington and Beijing’s joint responsibility to manage the world order," said the report.

Then, the same day, Trump "set up a call with Takaichi and advised her not to provoke Beijing on the question of Taiwan’s sovereignty, said Japanese officials and an American briefed on the call."

Per the report, Trump gave Takaichi "subtle" advice and did not tell her to actually retract her previous statements, acknowledging the political constraints she faced — but did urge her to tone down the rhetoric.

In response to the story, Trump issued a statement to the Journal.

“The United States relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally. Getting along with China is a great thing for China and the U.S. In my opinion, President Xi will be substantially upping his purchase of soybean and other farm products, and anything good for our farmers is good for me,” Trump said, adding, “We signed wonderful trade deals with Japan, China, South Korea, and many other nations, and the world is at peace. Let’s keep it that way!”

Trump has spent much of the year in an aggressive stance of his own against China, particularly on the issue of trade, where an economic war he instigated has resulted in devastation for U.S. farmers who depend on exporting their crops.