Indo-Pacific Security

After a Nov. 24 call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping—during which Xi told Trump that "Taiwan's return to China is an integral part of the post‑war international order"—Trump phoned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and, according to reports, urged her to "cool it" after her earlier comments about a potential Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan. Beijing has since launched a diplomatic push to isolate Japan, sending protest letters to the UN and imposing punitive measures such as halting seafood imports, issuing travel advisories and canceling cultural events; Trump’s public post about the Xi call did not mention Taiwan.

The U.S. flew two B-52 strategic bombers with six Japanese F-35 and F-15 fighters over the Sea of Japan in a joint drill this week, the first allied show of force since a feud erupted last month between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan-related remarks. The move follows a China–Russia bomber patrol that triggered Japanese and South Korean scrambles, as the U.S. State Department said its commitment to Japan is unwavering and Japan’s defense minister plans a Friday call with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

In Washington on Dec. 8, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles for annual talks focused on Indo-Pacific security, AUKUS, and supply-chain resilience. Hegseth said Australia will deliver an additional $1 billion to help expand U.S. submarine production capacity as the allies press “full steam ahead” on AUKUS, while a State Department readout said Rubio and Wong also discussed combating online scam operations and strategic infrastructure projects across the Pacific.