A Matter of Perspectives: Varying Views on the Trump-Xi Summit
By Marshall Reid
In Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film Rashomon, four witnesses of a violent attack recollect the incident. Despite ostensibly recounting the same series of events, each witness tells a distinct tale, often contradicting the others’ versions. Each perspective is shaped by personal belief, bias, and no small amount of self-interest.
That same phenomenon often unfolds in the wake of major international summits. For each party to the event, a unique interpretation is sure to arise. Meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tend to provide particularly conspicuous examples of this, and Trump’s May 13-15 visit to Beijing was no exception. Both men, deeply invested in the narrative, have been quick to spin their own accounts of the meeting.
As with all meetings between the heads of the world’s two leading powers, however, the number of concerned populations extends far beyond those directly involved: Across the sea, Tokyo and Taipei watched the proceedings with bated breath. Both perceived this Trump-Xi summit as potentially catastrophic. As details of the meeting have trickled out, the worst of those fears has faded. Nevertheless, the event will likely do little to assuage Japanese and Taiwanese concerns about geopolitical uncertainty and U.S. commitment to the region.
Pomp and Circumstance
Meetings between Trump and Xi are never dull affairs. Both leaders are acutely aware of the power of image and presentation, and their encounters are typically lavish and highly choreographed. This summit — the seventh face-to-face meeting between the two since 2016 — felt particularly consequential. With the U.S. mired in a grinding standoff with Iran in the Persian Gulf and the global economic system groaning under the weight of multiple crises, many viewed the meeting as a test of the personal relationship between the two leaders.
In terms of opulence, the summit did not disappoint. Xi welcomed his U.S. counterpart to Beijing with typical pageantry, rolling out a literal red carpet on several occasions. During a series of honorary ceremonies and banquets, Chinese chefs prepared meals specifically tailored to Trump’s preferences. The U.S. president was reportedly delighted by the display, describing it as “an honor like few I’ve ever seen before.”
For Xi, the extravagance was highly calculated. After years of engaging with the mercurial Trump, the Chinese leader has come to understand that flattery and spectacle are often preconditions for a productive meeting. Given the precarious geopolitical context, Xi was keen to ensure that the discussion remained cordial.
Both leaders entered the summit with lofty goals. For Xi, the meeting presented an opportunity to extract concessions on trade and Taiwan from an unusually vulnerable Trump. For the U.S. president, meanwhile, the visit functioned as an opening to negotiate vital trade deals (a delegation of high-level business executives accompanied Trump) and potentially secure Chinese assistance in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ultimately, the event proved relatively light on deliverables. The two leaders reportedly held productive discussions on trade, Iran, and Taiwan, but provided few details. Nevertheless, both were quick to frame the meeting as a resounding victory.
With typical bluster, Trump announced that China had agreed to purchase large quantities of U.S. jets and agricultural goods — claims that Beijing has not confirmed. Chinese officials have been similarly enthusiastic about the summit, touting “substantial outcomes” from the dialogue. From the Chinese perspective, a number of observers have noted that the meeting allowed China to position itself as an equal to the U.S. Regardless of substantive results, that outcome will undoubtedly be spun as a victory all its own in Beijing.
The View From Tokyo
As Trump stepped off Air Force One in Beijing, Japanese officials in Tokyo were surely watching carefully. U.S.–China summits often present worrisome strategic dilemmas for Japan. While the country is supportive of efforts to promote international stability and minimize conflict, Japan views many potential outcomes of these meetings with concern.
A disastrous summit, for example, could result in spiraling tensions, potentially escalating into an armed conflict. Tokyo has long feared being drawn into a confrontation over Taiwan, a scenario Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described last year as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. The diplomatic crisis that exploded in the wake of those comments only served to intensify Japanese anxieties about conflict with China. While still unlikely, the prospect of such a scenario coming to pass has grown under the Trump administration. The U.S. president has shown little compunction about antagonizing friends and rivals alike, and his bombastic and volatile approach to foreign policy has made war impossible to rule out.
Perhaps more concerning for Japan would be the opposite outcome: a U.S.–China “grand bargain.” While the two superpowers have been at odds for much of the past two decades, Trump has long shown a personal affinity for his Chinese counterpart. In Japan, fears have grown that the U.S. president will prioritize personal dealmaking over national ideals, potentially sacrificing Taiwan or its military presence in Japan in pursuit of short-term economic benefits. A bargain like this would be a geopolitical catastrophe for Tokyo, leaving it adrift and alone in an increasingly unfriendly neighborhood.
By these metrics, then, this most recent Trump-Xi summit provided little cause for alarm. The two leaders stuck mainly to diplomatic platitudes and showed limited interest in altering the status quo. In an encouraging development for Japan, Trump made a point to call Takaichi soon after leaving Beijing, providing a “detailed explanation” of his conversations with Xi. Still, the meeting is unlikely to fully relieve Japanese fears. For Japanese observers wary of greater U.S.–China alignment, Trump’s warm praise of his Chinese counterpart following the lavish summit welcome is undoubtedly concerning.
Strait Talk
Across the Taiwan Strait, the Trump-Xi summit was similarly disquieting. Taiwan has long feared an attack from its massive neighbor, which claims the island country as an integral part of its territory. This unease has grown significantly in recent years as Beijing has intensified its efforts to coerce Taiwan into submission. For Taipei, the path between prosperity and destruction feels narrower than ever before.
The geopolitical context surrounding this summit has only compounded Taiwan’s fears. Much of Europe remains focused on aiding Ukraine in its fight against Russia, while the U.S. is increasingly preoccupied with its operations in Iran. The latter is of particular concern for Taiwanese leaders. As the conflict has dragged on in Iran, the Trump administration has reallocated military resources from East Asia to the Persian Gulf, leaving relatively limited reserves to discourage Chinese attacks on Taiwan. U.S. supplies of missiles and interceptors are reportedly dwindling, cutting into stockpiles previously allocated for sale to Taiwan.
These developments, combined with reports that Beijing intended to discuss Taiwan with Trump, led many in Taiwan to view the summit with apprehension. Like Japan, Taiwan is deeply concerned about U.S. commitment. Even the smallest concession by Trump could have disastrous consequences for the island’s 23 million inhabitants.
With these considerations in mind, the fallout of the summit was something of a mixed bag for Taipei. Despite his openness to dialogue with Xi, Trump was unwilling to engage on the issue of Taiwan. While the two reportedly engaged in private discussions on the topic, no significant changes seem to be imminent.
In the immediate aftermath of the meeting, Trump provided little in the way of reassurances for either side. He batted away Xi’s remarks about Taiwan’s importance to China, but simultaneously stated that the U.S. would not be interested in fighting a war “9,500 miles away”. In a further worrying sign for Taipei, Trump suggested that he would be willing to discuss future arms sales to Taiwan with Beijing, a startling break from longstanding precedent. While the president has since sought to reassure Taiwan by signaling a willingness to participate in a call with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te – an even more striking break of precedent – his behavior during and after the Xi meeting likely raised alarm bells throughout Taiwan.
A Matter of Perspective
In the end, the May 13–15 Trump-Xi summit was considerably less eventful than many anticipated. The two leaders avoided catastrophe and engaged in mostly constructive dialogue, which is never a guarantee in the age of Trump. But as the two leaders return to their corners to celebrate their claimed victories, anxieties persist in Tokyo and Taipei. With multiple conflicts raging and uncertainty on the rise, these countries on the edge see danger where others see continuity. For the U.S. and China, the summit can be viewed as a success; for Japan and Taiwan, however, the view is far cloudier.