US Ambassador to Japan: Continuing Commitment to Maintaining Status Quo in Taiwan Strait

Central News Agency, Tokyo/Beijing, May 22. US Ambassador to Japan George Glass stated yesterday, "We will continue to be fully committed to maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait." Regarding Japan's increase in defense spending and the establishment of the ability to exercise "counterstrike capabilities," he expressed his welcome, emphasizing that it "helps enhance US-Japan capabilities."

Kyodo News reported that Glass made these remarks while delivering a speech at a meeting of the "National Power Research Association," a new league of LDP lawmakers in Japan, yesterday.

Glass mentioned that after the US-China summit on the 14th and 15th, US President Trump first called Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to inform her of the details of the meeting. He stated, "This embodies the strength of the US-Japan alliance and the trust between the two leaders."

Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi accepted an exclusive interview with Kyodo News in Beijing on the 20th. Regarding the agreement between the US and Chinese leaders to build a "constructive strategic stability relationship," he said, "This has significant meaning and is a good thing for the region," expressing his view that it is also beneficial to Japan.

The Taiwan issue received high attention during this US-China summit. Regarding US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statement after the meeting that US policy on the Taiwan issue has not changed, Kanasugi said, "I will take it literally," believing that the current situation has not changed. Kanasugi stated, "I hope that the Taiwan issue can be resolved peacefully through dialogue."

Trump did not visit Japan before or after this visit to China. Regarding concerns that the US and China are getting closer and Japan has been "skipped," Kanasugi mentioned that Trump called Takaichi immediately after finishing his Beijing visit, saying, "I don't feel uneasy."

Regarding the background of the Trump administration announcing its agreement to build a "constructive strategic stability relationship" between the two countries, Kanasugi analyzed, "It should be because China's presence is growing day by day." Kanasugi pointed out that China is moving rapidly in technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robots, suggesting that the US side may have made the judgment considering China's development.