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Multiple Japanese media outlets on Tuesday closely followed a telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at Trump's request. This call occurred shortly after the conversation between the Chinese and US heads of state, during which the Taiwan question was discussed.

Attention from the Japanese media outlets has been focused on whether the Taiwan question was discussed during the Trump-Takaichi call, especially amid China-Japan tensions following Takaichi's erroneous remarks on the Taiwan question. However, when facing reporters after her phone call with Trump, Takaichi avoided addressing whether they have discussed the Taiwan question, saying that "the details of the discussions are diplomatic exchanges and will be withheld."

Trump and Takaichi held an approximately 25-minute telephone conference on Tuesday, according to Nikkei Shimbun. Following the phone call, Takaichi addressed reporters at the Prime Minister's Office. Nikkei noted that according to Takaichi, the call was initiated at Trump's request.

Citing China's Xinhua News Agency, Fuji TV noted the previous phone call between Chinese and US leaders on Monday.

Fuji News said that "attention is focused on what position President Trump will convey to Prime Minister Takaichi regarding the Taiwan question."

After the conversation between the Chinese and US leaders, Trump promptly engaged in a call with the Japanese side. Judging from Takaichi's ambiguous rhetoric on whether she and Trump talked about the Taiwan question, the conversation with the US president may have left her with mixed feelings, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

On one hand, Takaichi might perceive the call as continued American recognition of the US-Japan alliance; on the other hand, she likely harbors concerns that going too far on the Taiwan question might not receive endorsement from US—which remains committed to engagement with China—and could even provoke American displeasure, Da said. Such outcomes would consequently constrain her future political maneuvering room both domestically and within US-Japan relations, Da analyzed.