(MENAFN) According to reports, US President Donald Trump urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to scale back her recent statements on Taiwan, a request that came shortly after he received a call from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Officials familiar with the situation say the sequence of conversations has sparked unease within Japan’s government, which now questions whether Washington might prioritize economic calm with Beijing over heightened regional tensions.

Xi, reportedly frustrated by Takaichi’s earlier warning that Japan could take part in a military response if China moved against Taiwan, used nearly half of his hour-long discussion with Trump to underscore Beijing’s position on the island. Chinese officials stressed Taiwan’s eventual “return to China” as part of the post–World War II international order, insisting that both the US and China carry responsibility for maintaining global stability.

Later that day, Trump contacted Takaichi and encouraged her to avoid further escalation with Beijing. Although he stopped short of requesting she retract her remarks, his advice to “lower the volume” unsettled Japanese officials, who interpreted it as a sign that flare-ups over Taiwan could threaten a recently stabilized economic truce between Washington and Beijing.

That fragile trade arrangement reportedly involves China committing to expanded purchases of American agricultural goods—an issue Trump has frequently promoted as a win for US farmers. In a statement cited by reports, Trump emphasized the strength of US-China ties and the benefits brought to US agriculture. “The United States’ relationship with China is very good, and that’s also very good for Japan, who is our dear and close ally,” he said, adding, “Anything good for our farmers is good for me.”

Japan has yet to release an official statement on the phone call.

Takaichi’s initial warnings, delivered to lawmakers on Nov. 7, prompted immediate blowback from Beijing, including economic retaliation and inflammatory commentary from a Chinese diplomat who wrote online that her “neck should be cut off.” The dispute erupted at a moment when Trump is working to safeguard limited but critical progress with Xi on trade before several scheduled high-level meetings next year.

Appearing before Japan’s parliament on Wednesday, Takaichi appeared to soften her stance, noting that she had not intended to lay out concrete plans for a Taiwan-related crisis. Analysts observing the situation argue that Trump’s decision to speak with Xi before calling Tokyo could be interpreted as a willingness to nudge an ally on a sensitive security matter in order to maintain economic momentum with Beijing. As one expert put it, “The order of the calls is interesting and likely raised some eyebrows in Tokyo.”

Although both capitals continue to insist that Taiwan’s status should not be changed by force, evolving US-China trade dynamics have become increasingly intertwined with strategic calculations surrounding the Taiwan Strait.

According to individuals familiar with the White House’s thinking, commerce dominated Trump’s conversation with Xi, including frustration over China’s delays in purchasing millions of tons of US soybeans it had previously committed to buy. Trump later told reporters that Xi agreed to step up those purchases.

For Xi, however, Taiwan remained the central topic. While he did not directly ask Trump to pressure Japan, his references to postwar order were widely taken as a pointed reminder of Japan’s historical legacy and Beijing’s objections to Tokyo’s recent rhetoric.

As stated by official guidance, US policy continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, with the State Department describing China as “the single greatest threat to peace and stability” in the region.

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