Why This Topic Landed in Japan

The aftermath of the US-China summit has been a daily talking point in Japan, recently over the state-dinner staging, the fact sheet's "World War II allies" wording, and a US-China back-and-forth over Taiwan. This time two new developments were added: a phone call in which Trump briefed PM Takaichi directly, right after seeing Xi, and an official White House "anti-communism" statement.

For Japan, this touches both a fear of being talked past as Washington and Beijing draw closer, and a reassurance at being briefed directly as an ally. The Prime Minister's Office said Trump initiated a roughly 20-minute call on September 26 and that the two confirmed Japan-US coordination on China-related issues. Separately, the summit's fact sheet did not mention Taiwan — the issue Xi was said to prize most — which many read as a sign of thin diplomatic returns for Beijing.

Key Reaction Themes

  • Most reactions poked at the "contradiction" in the anti-communism line — "You call yourself allies with China and then declare anti-communism?" "China isn't really communist anyway." "The US itself is turning authoritarian." A calmer view held that the statement was domestic messaging.
  • The phone call split between "proof of closeness" and "proof of being sidelined" — Some saw "Trump called first" as a sign Japan is valued; others noted there was no US official or X readout, and that "China got a red carpet while Japan just got a call." This incident was mostly partisan flaming from both sides.
  • Mockery of Xi's trip, alongside geopolitical analysis — Jokes that he was "made to buy souvenirs" (Boeing, potatoes, coal) ran next to arguments that "arms sales to Taiwan continue, so nothing really changed" and that the summit was "a Yalta-style deal carving up the postwar order."

What Japanese Netizens Are Saying

The Japan-US leaders' phone call (Trump to Takaichi)

Right after the US-China summit, Trump reportedly phoned PM Takaichi to share what was discussed.

Sources: 2ch

Comments:

  • "Huh, so Trump was the one who called."
  • "Same as at APEC and the G20 — as always, a Japan-US meeting before the US-China one."
  • "Apparently he'll meet Xi twice more this year. And Sanae?"
  • "A follow-up by phone? Trump greeted Xi himself on the red carpet 🥹."
  • "Even now neither the White House official account nor X has announced any call with Ms. Takaichi, though, lol."
  • "Abe said Trump is easily swayed by whoever he met most recently, so you have to keep in close contact — following that lesson, they probably feel they have to correct course, lol."
  • "Takaichi got lectured for 20 whole minutes, lol. And Trump still doesn't remember her name."
  • "Takaichi made such a fuss demanding a call that the US side reluctantly obliged — that's the flow."

The White House "anti-communism" statement

The official White House account declared that "America will never be a communist country."

Sources: 2ch

Comments:

  • "Even though it's allied with China."
  • "I don't think America will become communist, and if a US-China war broke out the economy would die, so I'm fine with them getting along."
  • "Instead we'll get a Trump empire, and division will deepen — more likely they take down the 'liberal nation' sign, isn't it?"
  • "The fact that they bother to declare it says it all…"
  • "Is this conscious of Mamdani?"
  • "'It won't become a communist country,' lol — well, sure, but no country has ever actually achieved communism, lol. Even the Soviets said themselves they were still on the way to it. And relations with China matter more than with Japan — that's just fact, lol."
  • "Isn't Cuba the only one really doing communism?"
  • "Is it socialism or totalitarianism? 🤔"
  • "Trump right now is the closest thing to communism, lol."
  • "But you're allied with a communist country."
  • "China wasn't strictly communist either — real communism doesn't have that kind of pyramid power structure."
  • "So you won't say you won't form an alliance with China."
  • "The US is already a Trump dictatorship, so it's the same category as China; and Japan is an LDP dictatorship, so no different from China either."
  • "They didn't even hold a joint press conference — the fact that they don't trust China hasn't changed."

No mention of Taiwan in the outcome document

Taiwan — the issue Xi was said to prize most in his US visit — was not mentioned in the summit's outcome document.

Sources: Yahoo! news, 2ch

Comments:

  • "What are you talking about — as thanks for bringing a panda, he got made to buy Boeings, didn't he! (;´Д｀)"
  • "Wouldn't it at least help to publicly dispel the rumors about Xi's health?"
  • "Xi isn't even seen as Taiwan's representative — they even played a Taiwanese song for him, lol."
  • "Arms will be sold to Taiwan as planned, so nothing changed."
  • "He begged them to stop arms exports to Taiwan, and it was rejected."
  • "Trump only ever thinks about making money, after all."
  • "Stop arms exports to Taiwan, stop supporting Iran — they tried to trade those and it fell through. No gains for either side. Xi handed over a panda, got an 'allies' declaration, and that's it for this round. Continued next month or the month after. Something like that."
  • "The fact that Trump said nothing is the success."
  • "Maybe China also agreed to carve up a slice of Russia's pie — the postwar order feels like it's being decided, like a Yalta Conference."
  • "No mention at all is probably the biggest achievement."