According to reports from the South China Morning Post, former U.S. President Donald Trump used a recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to advocate for a thaw in the strained relationship between Beijing and Tokyo. The diplomatic friction stems from comments made by Japanese official Sanae Takaichi in November, in which she indicated that the Japanese military might intervene if a conflict were to erupt in the Taiwan Strait.

Following Takaichi’s remarks, Beijing implemented a series of restrictions against Japan, which Trump reportedly urged Xi to lift during their discussion. Sources familiar with the summit indicate that Xi Jinping remained unmoved by the request, maintaining Beijing’s firm stance regarding its territorial claims over Taiwan. The Chinese government views any suggestion of foreign military intervention in the Taiwan Strait as an infringement on its sovereignty, a position that has led to the current diplomatic freeze with Japan.

While the report highlights Trump’s attempt at mediation, it notes that the effort did not result in a policy shift from the Chinese leadership. The interaction underscores the ongoing geopolitical sensitivity surrounding the Taiwan Strait and the difficulty of reconciling the security interests of Japan and the United States with the core political objectives of the Chinese government.