I don’t remember the part where a Japanese ambassador threatened to decapitate Xi Jinping. Rather, a Chinese diplomat threatened to decapitate Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Is it really the perception of anybody, let alone that of the U.S. president, that Japan’s government is the out-of-control one in all this fracas about the possible sequels to a possible invasion of Taiwan by—not Japan—but by the People’s Republic of China?
But “Trump, After Call With China’s Xi, Told Tokyo to Lower the Volume on Taiwan,” The Wall Street Journal reports (November 27, 2025). “Japan, a U.S. ally that had angered China on Taiwan, found the message worrying.”
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.
Later 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. The advice from Trump was subtle, and he didn’t pressure Takaichi to walk back her comments, those briefed on the calls said.
The Japanese officials said the message was worrying: The president didn’t want friction over Taiwan to endanger a detente reached last month with Xi, which includes a promise to buy more agricultural products from American farmers hit hard by the trade war.
I’m not sure the reporting is super-accurate. Did Trump advise Takaichi (shown above) “not to provoke” the CCP tyrant, Xi, or was the advice so “subtle” as to not have been articulated at all? It seems likely that Trump said something or other, yes, to Takaichi to try to wind down tensions ramped up to a billion by the Chinese government. He should instead subtly tell Xi Jinping and his gang to stop being monumental malevolent asses.
Very good
In later comments, Trump sidestepped the controversy, effusing instead that “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.” As stated, no, these remarks cannot be accepted: “getting along with” embraces so much unnamed territory here, and it seems to include an implication that Japan should temper common sense and sound policy. Everybody everywhere chronically appeasing the People’s Republic of China every day in every way has been a problem since 1949 or at least 1972.
Trump either told Takaichi to chill out or he did not. The Journal notes that “A spokeswoman for the Japanese prime minister said it is not accurate that Trump advised Takaichi not to provoke the Chinese government over the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty. Such a remark was not made, she said.”
On the other hand: “In their phone conversation, Trump suggested to Takaichi that she temper the tone of her comments about Taiwan, the American briefed on the matter said, adding that Trump had been briefed on her domestic political constraints and was aware she likely couldn’t fully retract her comments that angered Beijing.” Couldn’t fully retract? How do you half-retract a statement that Japan will act to defend itself and Taiwan in the event of an attack on Taiwan? The “domestic political constraint” is that the Japanese can read a map.
Japan could be denying that Trump said such a thing because he did not say such a thing or because Japan is pretending that he did not. Perhaps the message was clear but Trump was not explicit. Who knows. I await the transcript and the recording.
Very bad
Background: “Speaking to lawmakers on Nov. 7, Takaichi warned that Japan could deploy its military with other nations if China were to attack Taiwan. The remarks prompted Beijing to take retaliatory economic and diplomatic measures against Japan. A Chinese diplomat posted on social media that her neck should be cut off.”
If you review the above paragraph closely, you will see words like “if China were to attack Taiwan” (which the world regards as a possibility because China is constantly threatening to attack Taiwan and constantly practicing attacks and blockades of Taiwan) and “A Chinese diplomat posted on social media that [Takaichi’s] neck should be cut off.” Yeah, tone it down, ma’am.
