Arya News - Views on President Trump’s future moves differ within the Japanese government, with some thinking that his stance toward Japan will remain unchanged. However, others, more cautious, think it is more important than ever to convey Japan’s stance to him.
TOKYO – The Democrats won control of Congress in this week’s U.S. midterm elections, and Japanese government officials are trying to figure out how it could affect U.S. President Donald Trump’s diplomacy with Asia.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is scheduled to attend international conferences through December, will examine her next steps while seeking opportunities to interact with Trump.
“The Japan-U.S. alliance remains the cornerstone of our foreign and security policies regardless of the election results,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Wednesday at a press conference.
Views on Trump’s future moves differ within the Japanese government, with some thinking that his stance toward Japan will remain unchanged. However, others, who are more cautious, think that it is more important than ever to convey Japan’s stance to him.
Japan is concerned that Trump might rush to get diplomatic results regarding North Korea or China.
Regarding North Korea, Japan is seeking a comprehensive resolution on the abduction issue as well as on the nuclear and missile issues.
“We don’t want them [the United States and North Korea] bypassing us to make deals,” a senior official said.
Japan is trying to quickly enhance its defense capabilities — with the Japan-U.S. alliance in mind — to deter China. But if Washington adopts a conciliatory stance toward Beijing, it may allow China to step up its intimidation tactics.
Takaichi is set to visit China for the first time since becoming prime minister to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in mid-November. Some are saying that Takaichi should meet with Trump beforehand to align their views on China.