Xi criticizes Japan rearmament in tense talks with Trump - FT

According to the FT, the issue of Japan increasing its military spending was unexpectedly raised during this month’s summit between Xi Jinping and Trump. In particular, Xi reportedly spoke in a sharp and irritated manner, surprising American officials.

Several people said that the Chinese leader’s criticism became the most intense part of the summit, adding that members of the Trump administration were caught off guard. The reason was that Japan had not been part of the bilateral negotiations leading up to the summit.

According to the Financial Times, Trump told Xi Jinping that Sanae Takaichi had to adopt a tougher security stance because of the growing threat from North Korea.

In particular, Japan recently lifted most restrictions on the sale of military equipment, while Takaichi signalled a softening of her anti-nuclear weapons principles, which also drew criticism from China.

Following the summit, Takaichi and Donald Trump spoke by phone and agreed to discuss key issues in the Indo-Pacific region, although neither government provided details of the discussion.

Relations between Beijing and Tokyo remain tense after Takaichi’s statements last year, in which she suggested that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could justify the deployment of Japanese military forces.

In response, China introduced a number of measures, including trade restrictions and travel limitations to Japan. In this context, it is important to note that the Chinese leadership considers Taiwan part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to establish control over the self-governed island.

Returning to Japan, another important point is that Tokyo, in its annual defense reports, has repeatedly emphasised the threat posed by China, ranking it above the threat from North Korea. Since 2023, the country has described China’s military activity and foreign policy as the greatest strategic challenge.

Moreover, the draft 2026 defense report focuses heavily on recent increases in Chinese military activity and expresses serious concern over the deepening military cooperation between China and Russia.

What else is important to know

It was reported in March that in April, Japan’s ground forces would take part in military exercises in the Philippines for the first time since World War II. Tokyo’s direct participation comes after a reciprocal access agreement between the two countries entered into force last year.

According to media reports, Japan is considering purchasing strike drones from Ukraine for its Self-Defense Forces. The main reason is the successful use of this equipment in real combat conditions against Russia.