Japan says it shares US view on Taiwan despite no mention after summit

TOKYO – Japan is on the same page as the United States regarding Taiwan, although Tokyo’s press release after talks between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump made no reference to the self-ruled island claimed by China, the top government spokesman said on March 26.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara made the remark when asked during a press conference about a recent media report claiming that the Japanese government had deleted descriptions of the democratic island from its press release at Ms Takaichi’s request, aiming to avoid further provoking China.

Mr Kihara denied the reported deletion and said “as for the description about Taiwan, our nation totally shares the same recognition” as the United States on the island, as was mentioned in a press release by the United States hours after the two leaders’ meeting in Washington on March 19.

In the press release fact sheet, the White House said that the two leaders “committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of regional security and global prosperity”.

Since taking office in October 2025, Ms Takaichi has struggled to stabilise ties with China, with tensions between the two countries escalating after she suggested in November that Japan could potentially respond to a Taiwan emergency with its Self-Defense Forces.

China claims the island is part of its territory and argues the Taiwan issue is purely an “internal affair”. KYODO NEWS