The two leaders discussed trade, Ukraine and Taiwan in their first phone call since meeting in South Korea last month.

The remarks come amid the two countries’ worst diplomatic crisis in years, after the Japanese prime minister said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and President Donald Trump discussed China relations in a phone call on Tuesday, their first talks since the Japanese premier sparked a major diplomatic bust-up with Beijing over her remarks on Taiwan.