<h1>US backs Japan's Article 5 defence pledge amid China's Taiwan anger, seafood bans and economic coercion claims</h1> The United States reaffirmed its defence commitments under the US-Japan security alliance after China's protests over remarks by the Japanese Prime Minister that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japan's right to collective self-defence. The US Ambassador to Japan criticised China's response, calling related trade restrictions on Japanese seafood and tourism 'economic coercion' and reiterated that the US defence commitment covers the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. China has demanded a retraction of the Taiwan-related comments, reimposed bans on Japanese aquatic imports, issued travel alerts, and condemned Japan's export of Patriot missiles to the US as violating post-World War II demilitarisation obligations, accusing Japan of rearming and destabilising the regional security order.