Xi Jinping Criticizes Japanese PM Takaichi and Taiwan President Lai at May 14 Beijing Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping sharply criticized Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at a closed-door summit in Beijing on May 14, 2026, accusing them of threatening regional peace and urging US President Donald Trump not to support them ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]}. Xi pressed Trump to distance the US from their positions, underscoring Beijing’s concern over recent tensions influenced by remarks Takaichi made in November 2025 on the Taiwan issue that have worsened Sino-Japanese relations ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]}.

Trump rejected Xi’s criticism during the summit, praising Takaichi’s leadership and saying, "She is not a leader who should be criticized" ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]}. Trump told the press before the summit that he planned to "say good things about Japan" despite tensions with China ^[1]. After the summit on May 15, Trump called Takaichi from Air Force One to share details of the talks and reaffirm the strength of the US-Japan alliance ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]}. Takaichi expressed her gratitude to Trump for his strong support ^[4].

Japanese officials view Xi's criticism of Takaichi and Lai as a clear attempt to divide the US-Japan alliance. A senior Japanese government official said Trump showed trust in Takaichi in front of Xi and demonstrated US-Japan unity to China ^[1]. Officials also expressed doubt about prospects for a near-term Japan-China summit, given Beijing’s strong reaction and Xi’s consolidated power ^{[1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12]}.

Earlier in March 2026, during US-Japan talks, Trump had already praised Takaichi’s electoral victory and leadership before his meeting with Xi ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]}. The diplomatic clash comes amid Taiwan’s economic growth of 8.68% in 2025, reflecting ongoing regional dynamics ^{[4, 6, 9, 12]}.

The next concrete step will be monitoring potential follow-up meetings between the US, Japan, and China, as no immediate Japan-China summit appears likely given current tensions.