US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba have strongly opposed China’s actions, reiterating their firm stance against any attempts by the country to alter the status quo in the East China Sea through force or coercion.
The two leaders also stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, emphasising that its security is vital for “security and prosperity for the international
community.”
Ishiba visited the US from February 6 to 8, and held the first in-person summit meeting with Trump in Washington DC.
“The two leaders reiterated their strong opposition to any attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea.
The two leaders reaffirmed their strong opposition to the PRC’s unlawful maritime claims, militarisation of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea,” the White House said in a US-Japan joint leaders’ statement.
The statement added, “The two leaders emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community. They encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. The two leaders also expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations.”
Notably, the Taiwan-China conflict remained a longstanding geopolitical issue centred on Taiwan’s sovereignty.
While Taiwan functioned as a de facto independent state with its own government, military, and economy, Beijing considered it a breakaway province under the “One China” policy.
