Japanese PM preparing for tough negotiations with Trump
Talks will concentrate on the US commitment to a strong military presence.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he is preparing for tough negotiations with US President Donald Trump to win his commitment to maintain a strong American presence in the Asia-Pacific.
Mr Ishiba – who is struggling to stabilise his minority government – has been seeking to meet Mr Trump since his election victory in November and is arranging a trip to Washington in the coming weeks.
With a minority government following a significant election loss in October due to voter anger over his party’s financial scandals, Mr Ishiba is struggling to stay in power at least until the next major elections this summer.
In a policy speech to parliament, Mr Ishiba said: “With the balance of power in the region making a historic change, we must further deepen Japan-US cooperation and ensure the US commitment to the region to prevent any power vacuum from destabilising it.”
Mr Ishiba said Japan faces “the most severe and complicated security environment” since the Second World War and needs to bolster its own defence capabilities and elevate the Japan-US alliance, while expanding and deepening ties with other partners.
The United States is Japan’s only treaty ally and Japanese officials are worried that Mr Trump is likely to place less importance on relationships in the region developed under former US leader Joe Biden to counter China’s growing influence.
Mr Ishiba said increased dialogue is key to avoiding misunderstandings and expressed a willingness to achieve constructive relations with China.
In addition to deepening Japan-US ties, which Tokyo has traditionally considered the cornerstone of its foreign and security policies, Mr Ishiba wants to develop multilateral frameworks such as three-way cooperation with South Korea and the Philippines and the Quad that also includes Australia and India.
“In order to build multi-layered networks for regional security and strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific, Japan-US leadership is essential,” he said.
To demonstrate his emphasis on the region, Mr Ishiba recently visited Indonesia and Malaysia and sent Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to China, South Korea and the Philippines.
He said his policy goals also include responses to Japan’s population decline, boosting stagnant salaries, reducing the national debt, and his pet project, building disaster resilience.
Instead of past national goals of a “strong Japan” and a “wealthy Japan”, he said he will seek “a fun Japan” in which diversity is respected and people feel safe and secure.
