Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House last week provided reassurance for Tokyo about its alliance with Washington. But analysts say it did the opposite for Beijing, particularly over Tokyo’s recent efforts to mend fences with its neighbour.
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Zheng Zhihua, associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Centre for Japanese Studies, said the outcome of the summit would “definitely raise questions in Beijing about whether a growing detente with Tokyo is necessary”.
“In the current climate, the timing may not be favourable for advancing a leaders’ summit with Japan,” he said.
China did not feature heavily in the joint statement released after Friday’s talks, though Tokyo and Washington share concerns over Beijing’s assertive military activities in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China seas, which were mentioned in the statement.
Trump and Ishiba also reaffirmed their commitment to improving economic security and developing critical technologies including AI, quantum computing and advanced semiconductors.
Zheng said that was a “troubling” development for Beijing as it signalled Tokyo’s continued willingness to support Washington in its efforts to contain China.