Xi became vocal and agitated when discussing Japan, surprising US officials because the subject had not featured in talks with their Chinese counterparts before the summit. Several people said Xi’s verbal attack was the most heated part of the two-day summit between the leaders.
After Xi lambasted Takaichi and Japan’s rising defence spending, Trump responded that Tokyo had to take a more assertive security stance due to the rising threat from North Korea. It was unclear if Trump mentioned China — the biggest Japanese security concern — in the same context.
