Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a rare direct rebuke of Japan's military buildup during his recent summit with President Donald Trump, criticizing Tokyo's "remilitarization" in front of the American leader, according to The Japan Times.
The comments, directed at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi who also attended portions of the summit, represent an unusually public Chinese criticism of Japan's defense policies. Xi specifically objected to Tokyo's increased military spending and expanded security role in the Indo-Pacific region.
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. Japan has dramatically increased defense spending in recent years, breaking with decades of post-World War II pacifism. Under former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his successor Takaichi, Tokyo committed to raising defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2027—a target that would make Japan the world's third-largest military spender after the United States and China.
The shift responds to multiple threats: North Korea's expanding nuclear arsenal, China's growing assertiveness in the East China Sea and around Taiwan, and uncertainty about America's security commitment under successive administrations. Japan has also reinterpreted its constitution to allow collective self-defense, purchased long-range strike capabilities, and deepened security cooperation with Australia, India, and European nations.
For China, this represents a strategic nightmare. A militarily powerful Japan aligned with the United States constrains Beijing's freedom of action in the Western Pacific. Tokyo's acquisition of Tomahawk cruise missiles and commitment to develop indigenous long-range strike capabilities mean Japan could hold Chinese coastal targets at risk—fundamentally altering the regional military balance.
The fact that Xi delivered this criticism in front of Trump is the story within the story. Chinese leaders typically reserve such direct rebukes for bilateral meetings with Japanese counterparts, where they can calibrate messages for domestic and international audiences. By criticizing Japan with Trump present, Xi sent a signal to Washington about Beijing's red lines.
The message appears to be this: China views Japan's military expansion as a threat, and Beijing holds the United States partially responsible for enabling it. By raising the issue directly with Trump, Xi sought to make clear that continued American support for Japanese rearmament will complicate US-China relations.
Historical memory shapes Chinese attitudes toward Japanese military power. The Second Sino-Japanese War, which merged into World War II, killed an estimated 15 to 20 million Chinese civilians and soldiers between 1937 and 1945. That trauma remains central to Chinese national identity, carefully cultivated by the Communist Party through education and commemoration.
Beijing has long accused Tokyo of failing to fully reckon with its wartime atrocities. Chinese officials routinely invoke this history when criticizing Japanese defense policies, framing any expansion of Japan's military as a potential return to imperial aggression. While most Western analysts view such rhetoric as cynical manipulation of historical grievances for strategic purposes, it resonates powerfully within China.
For Trump, the exchange likely reinforced competing imperatives. The president has repeatedly pressed allies, including Japan, to spend more on defense and assume greater responsibility for regional security. But he has also pursued a transactional relationship with China, prioritizing trade deals and summit spectacles over ideological confrontation.
Xi's criticism of Japan in Trump's presence may have been calculated to exploit this tension. If Washington encourages Japanese rearmament, it risks complicating relations with Beijing. If it restrains Tokyo, it undermines a critical ally and weakens the regional balance against China.
Japanese officials responded coolly to Xi's remarks. Prime Minister Takaichi, known for her hawkish views on defense and national security, reiterated that Japan's military buildup is "purely defensive" and necessary to address regional threats. She did not mention China by name, but the implication was clear.
The exchange reflects broader strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. As China expands its military, neighbors respond by strengthening their own defenses and deepening security partnerships. Beijing characterizes this as containment and threatens retaliation. The resulting security dilemma—where each side's defensive measures appear threatening to the other—drives an arms race with no clear endpoint.
For Japan, there is no turning back. Public opinion supports stronger defense, and the strategic logic is overwhelming. For China, accepting a rearmed Japan means conceding strategic space in its own backyard. And for the United States, managing the contradictions between encouraging allied defense efforts and maintaining dialogue with Beijing remains the central challenge of its Asia-Pacific strategy.
Xi's rebuke at the summit will not slow Japan's military modernization. But it signals that Beijing views that modernization as a direct threat—and that China will hold the United States accountable for the consequences.
