BEIJING (Reuters) -China urged the U.S. on Thursday to rein in Japan and prevent any “actions to revive militarism” in an editorial published by the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, as a war of words with Tokyo grows over the Japanese prime minister’s remarks on Taiwan.
The timing of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, followed by Trump’s call with Japan’s Sanae Takaichi the next day, prompted analysts to speculate that Beijing had asked Washington to step in to ease hostilities.
The diplomatic furor erupted after Takaichi told parliament on November 7 that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo.
“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.
“The communication between the Chinese and U.S. leaders has significant practical implications,” the editorial added, asserting that Takaichi’s comments have “raised concern and vigilance in the international community regarding Japan’s dangerous strategic moves.”
The commentary was published under the pen name “Zhong Sheng”, meaning “Voice of China”, which is often used to give the paper’s view on foreign policy issues.
Trump told Takaichi to avoid further escalation with China during their call, two Japanese government sources told Reuters.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, did not address whether Xi had asked Trump to intervene when asked during a regular news conference on Wednesday.
People’s Daily said Trump had told Xi that the U.S. understood the importance of Taiwan to China. Trump made no mention of the democratically-governed island that Beijing regards as part of its territory in his Truth Social post following their conversation.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Sunday that plans to deploy a medium-range surface-to-air missile unit at a military base on Yonaguni, an island about 110 km (68 miles) off Taiwan’s east coast were “steadily moving forward,” drawing sharp criticism from Beijing.
“China and the U.S. fought side by side against fascism and militarism, and should now work together to safeguard the victory of World War Two,” People’s Daily said.
(Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
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