Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not retract her remarks on a Taiwan contingency involving Japan as she was grilled by opposition party leaders in their first party leaders’ debate in the Diet on Nov.

Japan is rejecting a Wall Street Journal report claiming US President Donald Trump asked Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to moderate her stance on Taiwan. The article cited US and Japanese officials, and was published amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Tokyo following Takaichi’s comment that an attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Japan.

Japan moves closer to openly linking Taiwan’s security to its own as China responds with thinly veiled threats

Her recent comments do not represent a new commitment for Japan to defend Taiwan – or a departure from previous policy.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she hadn’t planned to get into any details of a Taiwan contingency in recent remarks that have been fiercely criticized by China.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Volcanic activity in northern Ethiopia's long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano subsided Tuesday after an eruption over the weekend that left a trail of destruction in nearby villages and caused flight cancellations after ash plumes disrupted high-altitude flight paths.

Trump is positioning himself as a go‑between in the escalating China‑Japan standoff over Taiwan, holding back‑to‑back calls with Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as tensions spike over Tokyo’s tougher line and planned missile deployments near Taiwan.

The phone call comes after US president spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan - Anadolu Ajansı