President Donald J. Trump greets President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, China, Friday, May 15, 2026. Photo by Daniel Torok/The White House/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (Asia Today) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sharply criticized Japan's "remilitarization" during summit talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing on May 14-15, according to a report published Saturday by the Financial Times.
The newspaper reported Xi became visibly agitated while criticizing Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Tokyo's increased defense spending, surprising U.S. officials and creating what the report described as one of the most intense moments of the two-day summit.
Trump responded that Japan needed to strengthen its security posture to counter threats from North Korea, though it remained unclear whether he also referred to China as Japan's primary security concern, the report said.
According to the Financial Times, the issue of Japan's military posture had not been discussed during advance preparations between U.S. and Chinese officials before the summit, making Xi's decision to raise the matter directly at the leader-level talks unexpected for the American side.
