<p>Tokyo: US President Donald Trump asked Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi avoid further escalation in a dispute with China during a call this week, two Japanese government sources with knowledge of the matter said. Takaichi sparked the biggest diplomatic bust-up with Beijing in years when she told parliament earlier this month that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japanese military action.</p><p>That drew a furious response from Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan, and a demand for Takaichi to retract her remarks - which has not been forthcoming.</p><p>In Tuesday's call with Trump, the U.S president expressed a desire for Takaichi to avoid further infuriating Beijing, according to the sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.</p> .<p>Trump, who is seeking to maintain a fragile trade war truce with China, did not make any specific demands of Takaichi regarding the matter, one of the sources said.</p><p>Trump's request for Takaichi to dial down the volume in the dispute was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.</p><p>The call immediately followed another Trump held with Xi Jinping, in which the Chinese leader said Taiwan's "return to China" is a key part of Beijing's vision for the world order, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.</p><p>Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's ownership claim, has said a return to China is not an option for its 23 million people.</p><p>China urged the US to rein in Japan to prevent "actions to revive militarism" in an editorial published by the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party on Thursday.</p> .<p>"China and the United States share a common responsibility to jointly safeguard the post-war international order and oppose any attempts or actions to revive militarism," the article said, highlighting how the two countries shared a common enemy during World War Two, Japan.</p><p>“The United States' relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally," the White House said in a statement attributed to Trump.</p><p>Asked for comment, Japan's Prime Minister's Office referred Reuters to its earlier official readout of the call between Takaichi and Trump which stated that the two leaders discussed U.S.-China relations, without elaborating. </p>
<p>Tokyo: US President Donald Trump asked Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi avoid further escalation in a dispute with China during a call this week, two Japanese government sources with knowledge of the matter said. Takaichi sparked the biggest diplomatic bust-up with Beijing in years when she told parliament earlier this month that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japanese military action.</p><p>That drew a furious response from Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan, and a demand for Takaichi to retract her remarks - which has not been forthcoming.</p><p>In Tuesday's call with Trump, the U.S president expressed a desire for Takaichi to avoid further infuriating Beijing, according to the sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.</p> .<p>Trump, who is seeking to maintain a fragile trade war truce with China, did not make any specific demands of Takaichi regarding the matter, one of the sources said.</p><p>Trump's request for Takaichi to dial down the volume in the dispute was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.</p><p>The call immediately followed another Trump held with Xi Jinping, in which the Chinese leader said Taiwan's "return to China" is a key part of Beijing's vision for the world order, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.</p><p>Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's ownership claim, has said a return to China is not an option for its 23 million people.</p><p>China urged the US to rein in Japan to prevent "actions to revive militarism" in an editorial published by the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party on Thursday.</p> .<p>"China and the United States share a common responsibility to jointly safeguard the post-war international order and oppose any attempts or actions to revive militarism," the article said, highlighting how the two countries shared a common enemy during World War Two, Japan.</p><p>“The United States' relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally," the White House said in a statement attributed to Trump.</p><p>Asked for comment, Japan's Prime Minister's Office referred Reuters to its earlier official readout of the call between Takaichi and Trump which stated that the two leaders discussed U.S.-China relations, without elaborating. </p>