Xi-Trump call; PRC-Japan; Getting harder to evade PRC taxes; Sketchy LGFV bond deals
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Potsdam Declaration
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Cited alongside the Cairo Declaration as defining Japan's post-war obligations regarding Taiwan. This 1945 ultimatum to Japan shaped the territorial settlements that China now invokes, and understanding its terms illuminates the current diplomatic dispute.
China urges the Japanese side to reflect on and correct its mistakes at an early date and not to be obsessed with its wrong course. If the Japanese side acts willfully and makes mistake after mistake, all countries and people who uphold justice have the right to settle accounts once again regarding Japan’s historical crimes and have the responsibility to resolutely prevent the resurgence of Japanese militarism. - Wang Yi
Summary of the Essential Eight:
1. Xi and Trump have another call - Xi Jinping and Donald Trump spoke Monday. According to the Wall Street Journal, Xi initiated the call. Xinhua took the messaging initiative, issuing a readout several hours before Trump posted to Truth Social about the discussion. According to Xinhua:
Xi Jinping elucidated China’s principled position on the Taiwan question, emphasizing that Taiwan’s return to China is an important component of the post-war international order. China and the United States once fought side by side against fascism and militarism, and currently, we should all the more jointly safeguard the fruits of the victory of World War II.
习近平阐明了中方在台湾问题上的原则立场，强调台湾回归中国是战后国际秩序重要组成部分。中美曾并肩抗击法西斯和军国主义，当前更应该共同维护好二战胜利成果。Trump stated that President Xi Jinping is a great leader. He noted that his meeting with President Xi in Busan was very pleasant and that he completely agrees with President Xi’s views on bilateral relations. Both sides are fully implementing the important consensus reached at the Busan meeting. Trump acknowledged that China played an important role in the victory of World War II and stated that the U.S. side understands the importance of the Taiwan question to China.
特朗普表示，习近平主席是伟大的领导人。我同习近平主席在釜山的会晤非常愉快，完全赞同您对两国关系的看法。双方正在全面落实釜山会晤达成的重要共识。中国当年为二战胜利发挥了重要作用，美方理解台湾问题对于中国的重要性。
Trump made no mention of Taiwan or the “post-war international order” in his Truth Social post about the call, saying that “we discussed many topics including Ukraine/Russia, Fentanyl, Soybeans and other Farm Products, etc.” He also said Xi invited him to visit Beijing in April, and that Xi will come to the US on a state visit later in 2026.
Taiwan and Japan leaders may be justified in being nervous about this discussion, in the absence of more information about what the two leaders really said about Taiwan, and Japan, assuming the current PRC tempest over Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments came up. Xi asking for this call could be a sign he is trying to shape Trump’s reaction to the growing PRC-Japan crisis. So far Trump and the White House have not weighed in publicly on the current PRC-Japan tensions. ...
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