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What did American allies make of Trump’s trip to China to meet Xi?
The meeting in Beijing was watched around the world for clues on topics ranging from trade to Taiwan and rare earths
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Albee Zhangin ShanghaiandJosephine Main Hong KongPublished: 8:42pm, 15 May 2026Updated: 11:54pm, 15 May 2026The summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump was watched closely around the world for welcome moves towards stability but it also triggered anxiety among traditional US allies.
As he returned home on Air Force One on Friday, Trump had a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“We exchanged views, centring on various issues surrounding China, including the economy – encompassing economic security – and security matters,” Takaichi wrote in a social media post. She pledged to continue close collaboration to strengthen Japan-US alliance.
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Japanese public broadcaster NHK quoted a government official as saying that Tokyo was anxious to learn what Washington and Beijing discussed about Taiwan and mainland China’s export controls on rare earths.
“We believe it is important that US-China relations contribute to the stability of the international community, including Japan, and the government is closely monitoring the situation with great interest,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told NHK.
02:58Xi Jinping gives Donald Trump an ‘extremely rare’ private tour of Beijing’s Zhongnanhai
William Klein, a senior associate with Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Europe would welcome stable and predictable US-China relations.
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