United States and Japan Unite Against Potential Chinese Aggression Toward Taiwan

Washington and Tokyo Abandon Ambiguity, Sending a Unified Military Warning to Beijing

WASHINGTON — While the Trump administration has disrupted global norms and pressured traditional allies to bolster their military commitments, one alliance remains unshaken. In a move that leaves little room for doubt, the United States and Japan have drawn a red line: should the People’s Liberation Army attempt to annex Taiwan by force, Washington and Tokyo appear ready to respond together, with greater force.

The joint statement, issued after a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington, does more than reaffirm the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait—it makes clear that any attempt to alter the status quo through force or coercion will be met with firm resistance. Gone is the carefully calibrated ambiguity of previous decades. The leaders went further still, explicitly condemning Beijing’s militarization, unlawful maritime claims, and provocations in the South China Sea, while backing Taiwan’s inclusion in global institutions long denied to it.