It was a pleasant autumn day in Tokyo on October 28, when Trump first met Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗).

Takaichi welcomed Trump at the State Guest House as her first foreign guest since taking office as Japan’s first-ever female leader, offering what Yomiuri Shimbun described as “Takaichi-style hospitality.”

During the visit, Trump and Takaichi held a bilateral summit during which Takaichi expressed desire to build a new “golden age” for the US-Japan alliance. Afterwards, they signed agreements and exchanged gifts — a golf bag for Trump, signed by Japanese golf star Hideki Matsuyama (with whom Trump has previously played), and “Japan is Back” baseball caps for Takaichi.

Following a lunch that featured Japanese vegetables and American steak, the two visited the US Navy’s Yokosuka base, where Trump remarked that he and Takaichi had “become very close friends all of a sudden.”

On Chinese social media, the meeting drew considerable attention.

There has been heightened focus in China on Sanae Takaichi beyond anti-Japanese sentiment and her recent appointment as Japan’s first female Prime Minister — as she is widely regarded as a far-right politician who denies, downplays, or glorifies historical facts related to the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931-1945).

Japan’s official narrative of its wartime past has long been a major obstacle to deeper reconciliation between China and Japan, and it is highly unlikely that Takaichi’s views of the war are going to bring China and Japan any closer. Among others, she is known for visiting Yasukuni Shrine, the Tokyo shrine that honors Japan’s war dead (including those who committed war crimes in China). She also claimed that Japan’s aggression following the Manchurian Incident, which led to the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, was an act of “self-defense.”

In light of these tensions in Sino-Japanese relations, and because of the changing dynamics in the current US-China relationship, many details surrounding the Trump–Takaichi meeting became popular talking points.

Many netizens focused on moments they interpreted as Trump asserting dominance or showing disregard for Japan.

👉 One awkward moment showed how, during the welcoming ceremony, Takaichi failed to properly escort the US president. He walked ahead of her twice, and, despite the cues to salute the Japanese flag, Trump simply walked past it instead, leaving Takaichi looking visibly surprised (video).

While some saw it as a case of poor etiquette instructions behind the scenes, most reactions framed it as a sign of power dynamics in the US–Japan relationship, with some commenting: “Why would the master bow to his son?” (Hashtags: “Trump Skips the Japanese Flag” #特朗普略过日本国旗# and “Trump Ignores Takaichi Twice in a Minute” #特朗普1分钟内两次无视高市早苗#)

👉 Another widely discussed moment came at the Yokosuka base, where Trump invited Takaichi on stage and mentioned how their bond was based on WWII (“Born out of the ashes of a terrible war”) — a comment that seemed to catch Takaichi off guard (video). He quickly followed up with, “our bond has grown into the beautiful friendship that we have,” but not before her expression visibly changed.

Under the hashtag “Trump’s Remark Gave Takaichi a Scare” (#专家：#特朗普一句话吓了高市早苗一大跳#), Chinese media outlet Beijing Time (@北京时间) commented: “She was afraid that Trump might go on to say something she couldn’t respond to easily.”

Image by online creator.

👉 Later, at a reception at the US Embassy in Tokyo, Trump referred to the Pacific War as a “little conflict.” While the euphemism may have been aimed at promoting reconciliation (“We once had a little conflict with Japan — you may have heard about that — but after such a terrible event, our two nations have become the closest of friends and partners…” video), many Chinese netizens and outlets, including The Observer (观察者网) interpreted the remark as dismissive. This fueled hashtags like “Trump Calls the Pacific War a Small Conflict” (#特朗普将太平洋战争称作小冲突#) and “Trump Refers to Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombing as a Small Conflict” (#特朗普称轰炸广岛长崎只是小冲突#).

Alongside critiques of Trump’s behavior, much attention was also paid to Takaichi’s facial expressions and body language.

On Chinese social media, she was widely seen as overly eager to please — described as “fawning over Trump” (谄媚) in an “exaggerated” (夸张) way. Global Times highlighted how even Japanese netizens were criticizing her gestures as inappropriate for a prime minister (#日本网民怒批高市早苗谄媚#).

Some jokingly drew comparison to the famous movie about Hachiko, the loyal Japanese dog and his owner, played by American actor Richard Gere.

Some commenters described her behavior as that of an affectionate “pet” eager for approval.

Meme in which Takaichi was compared to Captain Jia (贾贵), known for his exaggerated flattery and traitorous behavior.

One meme compared Takaichi’s expressions toward Trump to those of Chinese actor Yan Guanying (颜冠英), who played the supporting role of Captain Jia (贾贵) in Underground Traffic Station (地下交通站), a satirical Chinese sitcom set during the Japanese occupation. The character was known for his exaggerated flattery and traitorous behavior.

But the most popular kind of meme surrounding the Takaichi-Trump meeting portrayed them as a newly smitten couple or even newlyweds. AI-generated images and playful commentary suggested a “love affair” dynamic. Watch an example of the videos here.

AI-generated images circulating on social media.

Some netizens linked this imagery to deeper historical dynamics — drawing distasteful parallels to American troops in postwar Japan and the women involved with them, including references to the reinstatement of the “sexual entertainment” industry once used to serve US forces.

For many, however, it was more about humor than history.

Some shared images showed just how much happier Trump seemed to be meeting with Sanae Takaichi than with her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, in 2024.

A considerably warmer meeting.

In the end, there are two sides to this peculiar “love affair” meme.

👉 On one hand, it plays on the affectionate behavior and newfound friendship between the two — Trump held Takaichi close to him multiple times, and she said she would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. At the same time, the portrayal reduces Takaichi to a submissive romantic partner rather than a political equal, reinforcing gendered stereotypes — a dynamic that likely wouldn’t have emerged as strongly if she were a man.

This kind of “couple pairing” is quite ubiquitous in Chinese digital culture, especially involving people who are unlikely to have an actual relationship in real life. And although censorship would never allow this kind of pairing to thrive online if it involved Chinese politicians, the fact that it features Trump and Takaichi makes it less susceptible to online control.

A previous example of a noteworthy “love affair” meme was the one pairing US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with Chinese political commentator Hu Xijin (see it here).

👉 Second, the Trump–Takaichi meeting is often placed in a Chinese context — showing the two getting married in a Chinese-style ceremony or inserting them into Chinese film scenes. While this may seem like light banter, it also reveals a deeper layer to the discussion: many believe that China plays a central role in the US–Japan relationship, interpreting the meeting through a Chinese lens in which US–China dynamics and the history of Sino-Japanese war are all interconnected.

Will they live happily ever after? Some may fantasize they will — but others think the weight of the past, both American and Chinese, will always cloud their sunny future. For now, most enjoy the banter and how “political news has turned into a romance variety show” (“政治新闻愣成了恋综了”).

By Manya Koetse

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Last update 1 November 2025
 

The meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump has been a major topic across Chinese social media, from the announcement of the big ‘G2’ summit to the actual meeting between the two nations, which have been caught up in trade tensions and rocky relations.

The announcement and actual meeting became the top trending topic across Chinese social media platforms over the past week.

Trump announced the meeting with Xi as the ‘G2’ on his Truth Social platform.

The meeting, that lasted approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes inside Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, was the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi since Trump began his second term in January 2025. The summit took place on the sidelines of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meetings and concluded Trump’s ‘Asia tour’ that also included visits to Malaysia and Japan.

Chinese news reports about the meeting were overall positive, with Xinhua noting that the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in various areas and promote “people-to-people exchanges.”

State-run media also reported Xi’s emphasis on dialogue over confrontation and highlighted Trump’s praise of China. Reports by CCTV and China Daily emphasized Xi Jinping’s remarks during the meeting on the important of stable US-China relations: “The partnership and friendship of our two countries, is a lesson from history, and also a necessity of the present” (“两国做伙伴、做朋友，这是历史的启示，也是现实的需要”).

During the meeting, Xi also said that, given the differences in national conditions, some US-China disagreements are inevitable, and as the world’s two largest economies, “occasional friction is normal” (“两国国情不同，难免有一些分歧，作为世界前两大经济体，时而也会有摩擦，这很正常”). He added: “To face rough waters and challenges, both heads of state should steer the right course and keep the larger picture in mind to ensure the steady sailing of China–US relations” (“面对风浪和挑战，两国元首作为掌舵人，应当把握好方向、驾驭住大局，让中美关系这艘大船平稳前行”).

Trump told reporters that he rated the meeting with Xi “a 12 out of 10.” On Truth Social, he also called it a “truly great meeting” that resulted in some major agreements.

Among others, the US cut fentanyl-related tariffs on China from 20% to 10%, China agreed to pause its October 9 export controls on rare earths for one year, while Washington suspended related controls, and Beijing authorized massive purchases of American soybeans and agricultural products.

The two sides also agreed to maintain regular contact. Trump expressed his hope to visit China in April 2026 and invited President Xi to visit the United States.

 
G2: Changing Power Dynamics
 

Video footage showing Trump escorting Xi to his vehicle after the meeting went viral across platforms from Toutiao to Douyin.

As often happens in a social media environment where in-depth discussions of high-level meetings are heavily restricted, it’s the visuals that matter — with netizens dissecting the gestures and body language of both leaders.

One image that circulated online focused on the difference in body language between the Trump-Xi meeting and the meeting between Trump and Japan’s new leader Takaichi, suggesting it translates to different power dynamics.

Trump and Takaichi versus Trump and Xi.

On October 28, when Trump met with Takaichi, he appeared to ignore cues to salute the Japanese flag, instead briskly walking past it. Takaichi looked visibly surprised. While some attributed it to poor etiquette guidance behind the scenes, most reactions framed it as a reflection of the power dynamics in the US–Japan relationship — with the US clearly on top.

The smaller meeting moments and visual gestures of respect that Trump showed toward Xi were seen by many — including this Zhihu commenter, 高山流水教育者 — as important signs and changing US-China dynamics.

These gestures ranged from Trump arriving at the venue early and “respectfully waiting” (恭候) for the Chinese delegation, to being the one who extended his hand first during the handshake. After the meeting, both leaders smiled and Trump courteously escorted Xi to his car and exchanged a few quiet words with him (#特朗普送习主席上车#).

The commenter writes: “The truth lies in the details!” (“细节见真章” xìjié jiàn zhēnzhāng).

Another issue that has repeatedly come up on social media is how Trump prioritized a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping while skipping the APEC meeting — suggesting a preference for major power dynamics and his so-called ‘G2’ US–China alignment over broader engagement with the Asia-Pacific bloc.

Trump’s initiative to call the US-China meeting a “G2” seemed well-received by the Foreign Ministry of China, which responded to a reporter’s question about the use of this term on October 31. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) suggested that China and the United States could demonstrate “major power responsibility together” by cooperating on issues beneficial to both countries and the rest of the world (#中方回应特朗普所称G2会议#).

The fact that Trump called it a “G2” speaks volumes for many about China’s strong global leadership today — especially coming from someone often described as having a “mentality of worshipping the strong” (慕强心理 mù qiáng xīn lǐ).

The media campaign China launched ahead of the Xi–Trump meeting to assert its claims over Taiwan may also have played a role — with a series of state media commentaries emphasizing reunification and the declaration of October 25 as “Taiwan Restoration Day,” there appeared to be added pressure to ensure Taiwan would not be used as a bargaining chip.

Taken together, the meeting and the details surrounding it are taken as a sign that Trump now accepts China as a stronger power than he did during his first term.

At the same time, Trump’s eagerness is also seen as a reflection of how his foreign policy efforts have fallen short in resolving domestic challenges. In that sense, his use of “G2” underscores both China’s rising position and the domestic pressures facing the United States.

With the fruitful outcome of the meeting and Trump showing clear respect toward China — and, as many suggested, even more respect than toward Japan — there seems to be a generally positive attitude and a noticeable shift in sentiment toward the US president on Chinese social media.

“Old Trump is an honest guy,” one person wrote on Weibo. Others on Douyin wrote: “US–China cooperation is a win-win situation.”

One observer on Weibo wrote: “The tariff drama, directed by Trump himself with himself as the main actor, has finally come to an end after all his tossing and turning. Life is like a play and it all depends on your acting skills. Old Trump treats politics as a show, which has broadened our horizons and added a bit of extra amusement to the world.”

By Manya Koetse
with contributions by Miranda Barnes

(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

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