Japan, Threatened by China, Urges Public Support from U.S.

Appeal to Trump Administration for Support of Prime Minister Takaichi

Japan has reportedly urged the United States for more active support as tensions with China intensify.

Donald Trump, President of the United States (left), and Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan (right). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to major foreign media outlets on December 6 (local time), Shigeo Yamada, Japan's ambassador to the United States, recently requested the Donald Trump administration to express greater support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

This request appears to stem from disappointment that the United States, as an ally, has not shown sufficient support.

Previously, Prime Minister Takaichi suggested during a parliamentary session last month that Japan could exercise its collective self-defense rights in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

In response, China strongly protested, with the Chinese Consul General in Osaka posting on X (formerly Twitter), targeting Prime Minister Takaichi and stating, "We have no choice but to cut off your filthy neck."

However, the U.S. government's response has been sluggish. Other than George Glass, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, mentioning that "the Trump administration supports Prime Minister Takaichi," there has been no public show of support.

Nicholas Burns, who served as U.S. ambassador to China during the Joe Biden administration, pointed out, "Japan is the ally the United States needs in the Indo-Pacific," and added, "Prime Minister Takaichi deserves the United States' full and public support in the face of China's attempts to weaken the U.S.-Japan alliance."