Trump–Xi summit spells uneasy news for Japan

(Hitoshi Tanaka – East Asia Forum) The Trump–Xi summit in Beijing on 14–15 May 2026 was a tactical detente driven by mutual domestic pressures rather than any genuine easing of tensions, with both leaders seeking short-term wins on the Iran war and Taiwan respectively. Japan faces the sharpest consequences of this realignment, as a less committed United States leaves Tokyo increasingly exposed to Chinese economic coercion while its own hawkish security agenda risks pushing it into damaging isolation. – Trump–Xi summit spells uneasy news for Japan | East Asia Forum