Trump on Chinese ‘Beheading’ Remark Toward Japan PM: “Our Allies Exploit Us More Than China”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 10th (local time) that America’s allies have taken greater advantage of the United States in trade than China has, when asked about a Chinese diplomat’s “beheading” remark targeting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

In a Fox News interview aired that day, Trump was questioned about comments made by Xue Jian, the Chinese Consul General in Osaka, who mentioned “beheading” in reference to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after she said Japan could exercise collective self-defense in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

The host introduced Xue’s “beheading” remark, posted on social media on the 8th, and asked for Trump’s view, saying, “These people (China) are not our friends, right?” Trump replied, “Many of our allies are not our friends either.”

He continued, saying that although “China has taken great advantage of (the United States),” in trade “our allies have taken advantage of us even more than China has.”

This reiterates his negative perception that U.S. allies receive security support from the United States while running large trade surpluses with it. The fact that he spoke more critically of allies than of China—Washington’s top strategic competitor—appears likely to stir controversy.

Recently, following the U.S.–China summit on the 30th of last month and the extension of the “trade truce,” Trump has shown a relatively conciliatory tone toward China.

In an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” aired on the 2nd, he stated, “I believe we can become bigger, better, and stronger by working with them (China), rather than simply crushing them.”

In the Fox interview, discussing relations with China in his second term, he said, “Thanks to tariffs, we now have tremendous power in dealing with China,” adding, “They have many missiles, but we also have many missiles.”

Trump also said that, in connection with the federal government shutdown—which marked its 41st day on the 10th and appeared close to resolution—he is preparing legislation to prevent a recurrence.

Regarding criticism of his recent mention of possibly introducing 50-year mortgage loans, Trump dismissed concerns, saying, “It’s nothing at all,” explaining that “it simply means the borrower pays less each month and repays over a longer period of time.”

He further commented that accepting international students is “a good thing,” and warned that reducing the number of foreign students would be financially devastating for the U.S. higher education system.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Alshara, the interim president of Syria, who met Trump at the White House that day, told Fox News in a separate interview that his past involvement with extremist groups such as al-Qaeda-affiliated organizations was “a matter of the past” and was not discussed at the summit.