Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi explains economic measures to reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Nov. 21, 2025. STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images
The United States is committed to Japan’s defense and opposes any attempts to alter Taiwan’s status through force or coercion, the Department of State said on Nov. 20.
The pledge is the first statement from Washington since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dialed up economic and diplomatic pressure on Tokyo following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments that an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait could pose a threat to Japan.
