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© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.China moving closer to Japan, India, other U.S. allies as Trump returns to White House
By KEN MORITSUGU and DIDI TANG BEIJING©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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rainyday
A reminder that Trump isn't just ushering in a rise of domestic fascism in the US, he is also hastening the demise of American global influence and letting rivals fill the vacuum.
EvilBuddha
This article seems to be missing the woods for the trees.
China is making nice with its enemies in Asia because they know that the Trump administration with its singular focus on China will be a tough to deal with instead of the Biden administration which was more focused on European security.
Secondly, China and India might have reached a temporary agreement on its border conflict but there is no permanent solution because neither side has agreed to a formal border and both sides claim territory controlled by the other, just like it has been for last 6-7 decades.
China does not want to fight India directly, instead they will arm Pakistan to fight India on their behalf. The Biden administration had also been giving military aid to Pakistan so not much difference between China and the US in that aspect. Trump on the other hand will not hand out free money to anyone.
Biden reinvigorated a grouping known as the Quad
A blatantly false statement. It was Trump who revived Quad in 2017, and Biden administration did not even consider India an ally so leave aside reviving Quad.
Trump’s transactional approach, his singular focus on China and his making sure that American interests remain paramount are more suited to India than the racist foreign policy of the Biden administration.
EvilBuddha
A reminder that Trump isn't just ushering in a rise of domestic fascism in the US, he is also hastening the demise of American global influence and letting rivals fill the vacuum.
Yeah Canada deserves all that they are going to get from Trump after the way they treated India during Trudeau's shambolic leadership.
Some dude
Given that China and Japan haven't exactly been the best of friends historically speaking, this gives off "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" vibes. They'll have to deal with the figurative and occasionally literal stench when dealing with Trump, so they're going off the safety in numbers approach.
deanzaZZR
I love the second photo with Brazil, South African and China joining hands while Biden, Modi and ROK's Yoon look on disapprovingly. Ishiba in the back looks like he needs a smoke.
JJE
It’s shock and awe time for Uncle Sam’s allies in the clown car who have mindlessly gone along for the ride. They are desperately trying to buckle up their seatbelts as it goes pedal to the medal and before wrapping themselves around a trade-war-pole at high speed.
China and India had somewhat of a reproachment of their border issue during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia last year. While not solved by any measure, the needle is moving in the correct direction on that one with bilateral dialogue and a general easing of tensions.
Wasabi
The world will adapt, it will be the US lost and Asia and Europe will become stronger.
NihonRyu
As China seeks to exploit the shifting political landscape to cozy up to Japan, India, and other U.S. allies, it is critical that nations within the Quad—Japan, India, Australia, and the United States—remain united. History and current geopolitics show that China's outreach is not about fostering genuine partnership but about weakening alliances that counterbalance its growing influence in the region.
The Quad nations must stand firm in their commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, a vision that ensures stability, security, and prosperity. Working closely with the Trump administration provides an opportunity to deepen military, economic, and technological ties, reinforcing the alliance's collective strength.
China's aim is clear: to undermine the cohesion of alliances that challenge its dominance. The Quad and its allies should recognize this for what it is—a treacherous strategy to create division—and instead double down on cooperation to uphold shared values and protect regional sovereignty.
The way forward is clear: stronger alliances, deeper collaboration, and unwavering commitment to mutual security and growth. Let’s not allow short-term overtures to derail long-term stability.
GuruMick
Trump is POTUS for 4 years.
This is a blip in how Asian countries se time.
BTW can we see some "non Trump news "....Theres a lot of other stuff worldwide.
BertieWooster
Japan is an Asian country. It makes sense to form alliances with the neighbours.
Tamarama
It's in everybody's best interest in this region that China is proactively seeking better relations with its neighbours.
These countries are neigbours with tens of thousands of years of shared history and interaction at varying levels, and you have to ask yourself, in 2025, why wouldn't they be actively seeking better relations? Why wouldn't it be better for the region to be able to have firm relations between them?
Why do Japan and other countries like South Korea have to rely on a State with absolutely no first hand business in the region, either geographically or politically?
A Trump led US looks like a very unstable one indeed, and it may be time for Asia to seriously re-assess the divisions that have been at play in the part of the world for the last 70-80 years. And especially the puppeteers that orchestrate them.
WoodyLee
Glad to hear and read this, I hope things keeps moving in this direction so governments and citizens can focus on better things to do than to worry about Biden's Wars.
WoodyLee
Pres. Trump is on track to become the " Peace Maker " as he claims to be.
WoodyLee
Amazing how just one person can turn our world Upside Down.
WA4TKG
Yes, that’s how I would term it: Joey “Courted” them…jeeeeZe.
That’s why Rocket Man started right up again and Xi, well, Xi is always playing with his “Army Men” in one way or another
geronimo2006
China will no doubt use this opportunity to skillfully play the US and Russia off against each other, and expand its global power and influence in the vacuum left by Trump. Why wouldn't it.
isabelle
It's a chance... but one that Xi is incapable of taking.
Instead of working with other nations, he will continue to illegally occupy the South China Sea, threaten Taiwan and the Senkakus, occupy the Indian border, ram and water cannon ships, practice economic coercion, etc. etc.
Xi has had countless opportunities to improve relations with Japan, India, the EU and others, and he has blown them all due to his obsession with domination and ideology, and his blatant disregard for human rights.
A good example is a few years back when the EU/China were ready to sign the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment that had been years in the making. What did Xi do? Sanction elected EU officials (for taking action on China's Xinjiang atrocities) and blow the whole thing.
https://www.politico.eu/article/european-parliament-freezes-china-investment-deal-vote/
This time will be no different.
isabelle
Yes, to counter China's belligerence.
And Japan is doing just that, via stepped-up cooperation (short of alliances) with the Philippines, Australia, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, etc.
isabelle
Japan and other countries are actively seeking better relations, but China only wants such relations on its own terms. That is, terms that allow it to bully everyone else with impunity.
If China wants better relations it must behave itself, abide by international law and treaties, cease all its threats and coercion, and stop breaking every promise it makes. Sadly, that will never happen under Xi.
Wesley
Agreed. Xinnie the Pooh should go away.
itsonlyrocknroll
Joe Biden administration, spent four years, willing to give the government of China despot dictator Chinese President Xi Jinping the political benefit of the doubt.
Offer the hand of friendship, turn a blind eye when President Xi Jinping took ruthless advantage of trade, committed acts of genocide to its people, Choked any hope of democracy in Hong Kong.
The mere thought of "China government moving politically closer to Japan" any way shape or form, fills me with a sense of foreboding, horror.
OKuniyoshi
Asian countries, Asians should work together for a win, win, win. Improve our life/make our countries better. Don't allow yourself to be used/be a pawn.
OssanAmerica
China playing the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere version 2.0.
Fos
Perhaps when the big US industrial military complex stops hiring voices spreading manipulative narrative against China, the naive Japanese politicians are going to realize that partnerships with China is the only way forward for assured economic growth and any prospect of peace and stability in the continent. The main priority now is to stop the Washington warmongering in Asia, as opposed to the prosperity which a deal with neighbor Beijing guarantees
Fos
BertieWooster
Absolutely. As opposed to creating another Middle East or Eastern Europe front, to make sure Wall Street records stay on historical high for years to come, at the expense of hundreds of thousands of innocent people lives.
jib
It seems that the America First agenda is all about being transparent and doing right by America First. Most other countries are opposed to this new agenda because they have no idea how to care for their own countries.
TaiwanIsNotChina
They can try but I suspect countries know China's deceitful game by now.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Joe Biden didn't unban Tik Tok.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Because Asia has a very troubled relationship with democracy with two dead-ender empires still waiting to be reformed.
Guy_Gin_and_Tonic
It’s a bit like seeing your neighbour bring home a pair of pitbulls just when your kids and his are starting to play together.
Tamarama
isabelle
Gee, doesn't THAT sound familiar then. Greenland....cough cough.
Greenland. cough cough
So, just to clarify what you are saying, and despite what this article is reporting, you don't want this part of Asia to have better relations with each other, right?
Wouldn't an ideal scenario by any American be that it doesn't need US military bases in this part of the world at all? Y'know, spending all those unnecessary tax payer dollars, all your hard earned on trying to sheriff the badlands? The outer provinces? The outer rim?
TaiwanisChina
Agreed. I mean, just look how Taiwan was hijacked by the tinpot dictator Chiang Kai Sheck, whose family embezzled and stole around $750 million dollars from the US in the 1930's and 40's and then stripped China of all it's wealth as he fled to Taiwan in military defeat, leaving the country effectively destitute. Wow. Talk about decimating a country when it is down.
Pretty sure Xi hasn't done that, but correct me if I am wrong.
Don
Japanese citizens should be able to have better nights sleep knowing that Trump is back at the helm and not the war mongering Dems !
deanzaZZR
Looking forward to the photo from an APEC in the near future with the People's Republic of China in the center with Hong Kong China to the PRC's left and Taiwan China to PRC's right.
Agent_Neo
Is the Chinese Communist Party seeking peace?
Doesn't that peace mean oppressing democratic nations and establishing a system of control by the Chinese Communist Party all over the world?
Let's take Japan as an example.
After undersea resources were discovered in the Senkaku Islands in the 1970s, Taiwan and China began to claim territory.
Neither Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, nor Chiang Kai-shek complained about the islands being considered Japanese territory until then, and they never made any territorial claims, so why are they suddenly starting to make claims?
Can China overturn something that Mao Zedong also did not claim?
Does that mean that Mao's perception was proven wrong?
Ken
I'm pretty sure the CCP wants to take more and more rather than see the other countries as allies. But again its just foolishness to withdraw the US from WHO and to take down the government official reproductive rights website. What is there to gain from keeping your own people ignorant and unprotected? These are some North Korea tactics
isabelle
Absolutely unconnected with China's law-breaking and belligerence.
You won't find any support from me for Trump's horrific policies, but nevertheless, no action/rhetoric by him will ever make China's actions right.
And FYI, Trump hasn't illegally occupied Greenland and attacked its soldiers/shipping, but China is doing this in India and the SCS.
No, I never said that. Straw man.
I said that the problems are caused by China.
The ideal scenario is for the threat to dissipate, once the CCP (not the country of China) falls. Then, the necessity of the bases can be reassessed, and they can be removed if no longer needed.
But while the threat remains, the bases remain. And rightly so.
Fos
Love the discourse of the “new hires” and the old usual suspects from the US department of (dis)information, trying to build random disparaging elements of discussion against China, totally unconnected.
Few historical facts need to be reminded here, about the aggressive nature of Washington vs Beijing in the continent, where only the latter belongs.
On this occasion we are not going to mention the previous wars fought by the White House in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, the ongoing Middle East, just to mention a few.
The US has almost 800 overseas bases including in Guam, Diego Garcia, ROK and Japan that ring China. The US fleet, with Japanese and South Korean support, regularly patrols off the China coast. The US would have hysterics if Chinese vessels patrolled off the Californian coast and the Florida Keys. Or if China had B-52 type aircraft based in Mexico.
Since 1945 the US past administrations have tried to overthrow more than 50 governments, many of them democratically elected; grossly interfered in elections in 30 countries; bombed the civilian populations of 30 countries; used chemical and biological weapons; and attempted to assassinate foreign leaders.
Of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, only one has not fought a war in 40 years: China. In contrast to China, in the last three decades, America has fought a war or been involved in military actions every year.
The anti-Beijing hysteria is clearly being led by the United States which is not concerned that China will attack other countries, but is worried that its world hegemony is being challenged.
The only military risk that we face from China is if we continue as a proxy for the US in its endless wars
Nathaw
For the economic and employment growth, open market and open investment are essential for Japan, Australia and UK etc. Both US and China are huge markets. Although China has been WTO member since 2001, it does not fully honored membership rules. In fact market is still closed for foreign competition. US is not better than China in term of both trade and investment. It has been protectionist for local industries. It has been twisting rules and regulations according the geo politic interest.
Japan has been decline since 1990 after property and real estate bubbles. Appreciating Japanese Yen for pleasing Regan administration was a terrible mistake. Recently Nippon steel tried to purchase US steel co-operation. It has been blocked by Biden admin. Both Canada and Mexico are US neighbors and free trade agreement with US according NAFTA. Trump dumped this treaty from day one of his presidency. He wants to close the market and foreign investment.
Globalization has failed. There is no free and open market. If China will open the market and buy more goods and services from Japan, it is good for Japanese economy. Japan is not rich in natural resources like US. It needs to survive for trading with any nation including China.
OssanAmerica
Who is the "we"? THe CCP? The PLA? A visually impaired individual can see that you certainly aren't Japanese.
Tamarama
Isabelle
It's completely relevant because you are cherry picking who you level that criticism at.
You are happy to tell all and sundry here at JT what a belligerent threat China is, but you don't level the same criticism at the US, who have actively been involved in wars for well over a hundred years all over the world, as well as being actively involved in manipulation and hegemony in this part of the world since at least the Opium wars, where prominent US families literally made their fortunes through smuggling Opium.
He's only been in the job a day or two, don't rush him Isabelle, please.
I think you are hyperbolizing Chinese 'aggression' and conveniently downplaying the role of countries like the US in stoking regional tension.
Fos
“We” is the common sense, the anti warmongering bunch, as opposed to the guy smoking a big cigar by the pool in Florida, checking his stocks gaining value, heavily exposed to the military sector, and most likely paying a bunch of guys to manipulate the media narrative.
isabelle
The US did not make China illegally occupy the South China Sea, invade the Indian border, ram Philippine ships, threaten Taiwan, etc. That's all on China, and utterly unconnected to the US.
It does not matter whether the US has fought zero wars or a thousand wars. The cause of China's belligerence is China, and China alone.
If you want to complain about US wars, fine. But if you try to make that some kind of excuse/justification for China's acts, I and others will call you out on that.
You brought Trump into this. I merely pointed out your false equivalence.
I don't, and neither do the many countries -- including Japan -- that are working to counter this aggression.
If you think China is benign despite all the evidence to the contrary, fine.
Tamarama
isabelle
This is abject nonsense that ignores both the history of the region and the geo-political reality of Asia. Maybe is it just a superficial grasp of the complexity of the region.
Of course it matters that the US has fought wars, because several of them have been in this region, AND, at least one against directly against Chinese forces right on their border. A conflict in which the US military leadership at the time also contemplated using Nuclear weapons on China, by the way.
The US has literally built a military ring around China in their backyard - but you seem to have no problem with that, and instead perceive the Chinese to be the unprovoked aggressors??? Don't you think that is a highly selective perception of what is, and isn't 'aggression'?
I do. I think it's a completely one sided and hypocritical perspective that shows no empathy to how the Chinese would see that problem at all. Not to mention the anti-Chinese discourse that accompanies it.
I see the US President has again threatened Canada overnight by repeating his claim that it should become a US state. WOW!!!! Are you kidding me? Perhaps China should start building military installations in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal to offer 'protection' to the Canadians? That would be an equivalent situation, but by your rationale completely justified because they would be offering security and protection in the region.
Right? Or would that simply be...aggression?
Fos
Well said. We can see the utter hypocrisy in those accusations against China, or any nation which challenges the so called hegemony of United States of America in the region where it does not belong.
This latest news is testament to your words:
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-deploys-typhon-missile-launchers-new-location-philippines-2025-01-23/
What would happen if Beijing or Moscow would do that in the Gulf of Mexico?
Typhoon missile launchers deployed by US in a new location in Philippines, that can hit targets in both China and Russia. And then we reed manipulated stories about Filipino fishermen skirmishes with Chinese vessels.
This is why we keep repeating that behind the growth of arms sales, the US keeps creating or intensifying conflicts and crises in different regions of the world, forcing other countries to increase their budgets and buy US weapons, to better serve the interests of the military-industrial complex.
isabelle
Can't let go of that tu quoque fallacy, can you?
I am well aware of the (sometimes horrific) history of US foreign policy, but none of it has caused China's current aggression.
This line again. As I've posted before:
The bases are all 100% legal, and requested by the host nations. You don't see other countries (apart from North Korea and Russia, of course) complaining about them.
Now, contrast this with China's 100% illegal South China Sea bases: now that is aggression.
Furthermore, the only time the bases become a factor is if, like China, your aim is aggression and domination (cf. illegal occupation/militarization of the SCS, official policy of annexing Taiwan, attacks on lawfully-operating Philippine ships, etc.) Were China peaceful and law-abiding it would have no problem with the bases. But it isn't, so it does.
No matter how many times you type words like "hypocritical," it won't change the fact that China's aggression is China's own fault.
Which is utterly unconnected to China's aggression.
To close, you can complain about US wars all you want, but they simply did not cause China's aggression. China did.
iknowall
The Trump effect has been incredible.
Tamarama
Isabelle
If you were 'well aware' you couldn't possibly have typed out that sentence.
You need to read more about the last 200 years of Chinese history, Isabelle. You will no doubt find it confronting, because it's pretty dirty, and the level of US manipulation, coercion and intervention will likely shock you.
Because US intervention and interference in China, particularly in the early to mid 1900's has had a very direct impact on the way contemporary China looks, and why there is a issue with Taiwan at all. The US pumped money, military personnel and equipment into China, funding, arming and training the Nationalist Kuomintang forces and supporting one particular Military leader, Chiang Kai Shek.
Their chosen nag, Military dictator Chiang, was a corrupt, incompetent thief - the view held and articulated by both the US government of the time, AND the Chinese people who suffered at the hands of his forces and inept governance. His corruption and embezzlement of foreign funds, including an estimated $750 million USD directly from the US government, is partially what fuelled Communist ideals and motivation against the internal corruption and foreign influence and meddling that was weakening China, not strengthening it. The corruption got so bad, the US eventually stopped it's financial aid of Chiang in 1946, because by then his wife was the wealthiest woman in China. His forces were also defecting en-masse to the Communists.
Eventually, this corrupt, incompetent, US funded and enabled military strongman who has never been democratically elected by the people, flees to Taiwan after stealing all of the Chinese gold and US dollars he can get his hands on (another $200 million's worth. This is 1949, remember), and attempts to set up the Chinese 'Government' there.
Sooo, US interference has actually played a very significant and direct role in creating the contemporary problem/issue of Taiwan, the shape of contemporary China, AND, has significantly shaped the way the Chinese Communist Party view interference by foreign powers. Those are simply historical facts.
Much of China views Taiwan as historically and geographically a part of China, and so it is a far more complex and nuanced problem than being oversimplified as Chinese 'aggression'.