Trump says Zelensky's statement 'very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia'
Apr 24, 2025
US President Donald Trump appeared to "defend China," as described by the Daily Mail, during a Monday night interview with Fox News, when the host raised Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent claims about Japan potentially interfering in Taiwan Straits and asked whether China was "not our friend." Trump pushed back, saying, "A lot of our allies are not friends either."
During the interview with Fox News Channel's Laura Ingraham, the host first cited a recent CNN report claiming that China had expanded nearly 60 percent of its missile facilities. She then showed an image of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks, which claimed that a Taiwan contingency involving military vessels and force from the Chinese mainland could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. After these points, Ingraham asked Trump whether China was "not our friend."
In response, Trump said, "A lot of our allies are not friends either. Our allies took advantage of our trade more than China did." He also responded to the CNN report on the alleged missile facilities, claiming, "They have a lot of missiles, but we have a lot of missiles too."
However, Sanae Takaichi had previously referred to Trump as "my wonderful ally and friend." On October 28, when she held her first talks with Trump in Tokyo, she posted on X in both Japanese and English, saying "with my wonderful ally and friend Donald Trump," along with a photo showing her posing intimately beside the US president, who was seated, inside the airplane cabin.
The Daily Mail described Trump's latest response to Takaichi's remarks as "defended China."
On the same day, Takaichi's claims were rebutted by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson and the Chinese ambassador to Japan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at Monday's regular press conference that several days ago, the Japanese leader blatantly made wrongful remarks on Taiwan at the Diet that imply the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Straits. It constitutes a gross interference in China's internal affairs and violates the one-China principle, the principles set forth in the four political documents between China and Japan, and basic norms in international relations.
Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, posted on X on Monday in both Chinese and Japanese, saying that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and that how to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people themselves to decide. "The idea that 'Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan' attempts to drag Japan onto a chariot to divide China, which will ultimately lead Japan to a wrong path of no return," said the ambassador.
