Japan Confused by Trump Calling China WWII Ally

[Beijingwalker]

Japan Confused by Trump Calling China WWII Ally​

Politics Sep 26, 2026 09:00 (JST)

Tokyo, Sept. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is seeking clarity on Thursday's U.S.-China summit after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to China as an ally during World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering calling Trump for a direct briefing on the summit, as the president's remark caused confusion within the Japanese government.

"I won't comment on every word in exchanges between third countries," Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo on Friday.

Trump made the remark during a welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. Xi said that the United States and China stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against Japanese militarist aggression.

In an apparent response to Xi's comment, Takaichi said: "Despite the war, Japan and the United States reconciled and deepened their relations. Now, we can trust each other as allies with very strong bonds."



[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

 

[ety]

Lol, isn't that an obvious fact that they were allies in WW II and Japan was the enemy, and Japanese want to even dispute that as they say they never invaded China and East Asia in WW II ? The Japanese PM recently even went to UN to demand that the enemy clause in UN article be taken off, lol.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

Agreed. Why is this even a question?

American support for the Chinese started before America's official entry into WWII.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

14TH AIR FORCE IN CHINA DURING WORLD WAR II​

 

[Pakistani Dragon]

... Trump made the remark during a welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. Xi said that the United States and China stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against Japanese militarist aggression. ...

So, who actually said the US and China were allies during World War 2?

 

[retaxis]

Japan is delining into irrelevance. 5.5tn GDP 1995 and now 4.4tn GDP 2026 and that doesn't even count for inflation. China took Japans lunch money (electronics and vehicles) and running away with it more and more each year.

Japan's nominal GDP and economic weight have experienced a prolonged relative decline over the last three decades, driven by structural stagnation, a weak yen, and a rapidly aging population. [1, 2]

Key Economic Metrics & Context

• • Nominal GDP Shrinkage: Over the past 30 years, Japan's nominal GDP fell from roughly $5.55 trillion in 1995 to around $4.27–$4.4 trillion, dropping the country to the world's 4th-largest economy behind the US, China, and Germany. [1, 2, 3]
  • Global Share: Japan's share of global nominal GDP dropped significantly from 17.8% in 1995 down to roughly 3.6% in recent years. [1]
  • Recent Performance: Economic growth has remained sluggish; GDP expanded at a modest annualized rate of about 0.3% to 0.4% in the second quarter of 2026, missing some analyst forecasts as private consumption stayed flat. [1, 2]
  • Global Forum Consensus: Users on discussion platforms like AskEconomics share a consensus that Japan's per capita GDP growth and relative standing have lagged behind other major G7 economies since 1990. [1]

Primary Drivers of Decline

• • The "Lost Decades": Following the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble in 1990, the country entered prolonged economic stagnation and chronic deflationary pressures. [1, 2]
  • Demographic Crisis: A shrinking and rapidly aging population has led to severe labor shortages, factory and school closures, and strained social security systems. [1, 2]
  • Currency and Debt Pressures: A weakening yen has driven up import costs for energy and food, while Japan's national debt-to-GDP ratio remains the highest among major developed nations, hovering near 240–248%.

 

[KAL-EL]

Japan is incredible

 

[Feroze]

So, who actually said the US and China were allies during World War 2?

I suppose against the militarist Japan.

 

[Tremain]

and Japanese want to even dispute that as they say they never invaded China and East Asia in WW II ? The Japanese PM recently even went to UN to demand that the enemy clause in UN article be taken off, lol.

They want to be seen not as they were.

I was reading a book about the personal stories of Japanese suicide pilots in WW2. In it, the author observed, it disturbed ordinary Japanese pretty much when it was pointed out the 9-11 attackers were modern day kamikaze pilots.

They said "No! We are like the firemen who rushed towards the buildings to rescue people!"

I still don't see how.

You were bloody suicidal and flying a plane and wanted to crash that plane on someone's head. EXACTLY like the 9-11 hijackers. Where the frak did this firemen comparison come from???

 

[PK781]

Japan has become irrelevant in geopolitics and they not liking it one bit.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

They want to be seen not as they were.

I was reading a book about the personal stories of Japanese suicide pilots in WW2. In it, the author observed, it disturbed ordinary Japanese pretty much when it was pointed out the 9-11 attackers were modern day kamikaze pilots.

They said "No! We are like the firemen who rushed towards the buildings to rescue people!"

I still don't see how.

You were bloody suicidal and flying a plane and wanted to crash that plane on someone's head. EXACTLY like the 9-11 hijackers. Where the frak did this firemen comparison come from???

In my younger years, I knew older Marines who fought against the Japanese. They literally hated the Japanese until their final breaths. And that was some 40 years after the war.

 

[Tremain]

In my younger years, I knew older Marines who fought against the Japanese. They literally hated the Japanese until their final breaths. And that was some 40 years after the war.

I don't hate them but I am starting to dislike them as they are tilting towards India ... perhaps because of our friendship with China.

And as for their "warrior culture", that BS was nuked out of their behind. It's right and proper USA won WW2... and Russia ate up northern Japan. So all their hoo-haa was just racist BS masquerading as hoo-haa.

Have you seen MTV-Japan? It's a DISASTER. These people are messed up.

 

[KAL-EL]

Japan's arcades are really good

 

[Pakistani Dragon]

I suppose against the militarist Japan.

No, I am asking which President made the comment that US and China were allies during World War 2.

 

[ety]

No, I am asking which President made the comment that US and China were allies during World War 2.

Trump said that while in the welcoming ceremony in White House greeting Xi.

"The pursuit of those common interests has connected our people across the vast oceans, across big tremendous distances, and many differences, and even made us allies in World War II."