Beijingwalker
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White House Summit Document Calls US and China WWII Allies, Stirring Concern in Tokyo
SHINGO NAGAHARA SEPTEMBER 29, 2026Even as wartime "ally" language raises eyebrows in Tokyo, the same document reaffirms Abe's free and open Indo-Pacific as central to US strategy.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Trump photo: ©Getty/Kyodo)
A White House fact sheet summarizing the September 24 US-China summit states that the two leaders recalled that the US and China "were allies in World War II and fought side by side to win the war."
The wording has raised concerns in the Japanese government, which fears it could reinforce Beijing's narrative of a shared US-China struggle against Japan and be used to drive a wedge between Tokyo and Washington.
With China expected to promote the document internationally, there are also concerns that the issue could develop into a new "history war."
A Factual Error Over the Republic of China
The wording echoed remarks made at the September 24 welcoming ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit. Trump said that the pursuit of "common interests" between the American and Chinese peoples had "even made us allies in World War II." Xi responded that "Chinese and Americans fought shoulder to shoulder against fascist aggression."However, the document blurs an important historical distinction. During World War II, the Chinese government allied with the United States was the Republic of China (ROC), led by Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government. The People's Republic of China (PRC), established by the Chinese Communist Party, was not founded until 1949.
A Japanese government official took particular note of the use of the word "allies," saying, "There's no doubt this is the word China wanted the United States to say."
'New Militarism' Criticism
Invoking wartime resistance to Japan to emphasize US-China solidarity is not new for Beijing. When then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited the United States as a state guest in October 1997, he began his trip in Hawaii with a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.At a luncheon there, Jiang recalled that the Chinese and American peoples had "fought shoulder to shoulder against Fascist aggression" during World War II.
Nearly three decades later, Beijing is again invoking the specter of Japanese militarism. China has sharply criticized Japan's recent defense buildup as a return to "new militarism," portraying Tokyo's security policies as a threat to regional peace.
Japanese officials are concerned that Beijing could use the latest US-China document to reinforce its historical narrative internationally and portray Washington and Beijing as once again united in opposition to Japanese militarism.
Solid Japan-US Alliance
At the same time, the document reaffirms the importance of the postwar forward deployment of US forces in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.It also invokes the vision of a "free and open Indo-Pacific," a concept first advanced by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and later adopted by the United States.
For Tokyo, this language provides some reassurance. A diplomatic source said the prevailing view within the Japanese government is that it demonstrates how "US policy toward China always keeps Japan in mind."
A senior Foreign Ministry official likewise emphasized the distinction between Washington's ties with Tokyo and Beijing. "The solid Japan-US alliance is on a different plane from US-China relations," the official said. "We will keep communicating from a position of strength."
White House Summit Document Calls US and China WWII Allies, Stirring Concern in Tokyo | Japan Forward
Even as wartime "ally" language raises eyebrows in Tokyo, the same document reaffirms Abe's free and open Indo-Pacific as central to US strategy.
japan-forward.com
