This past weekend, the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won big, a good omen for U.S.–Japanese relations.
When President Trump’s second term began, I wrote that Japan was going to matter more than in the first term. Their role as an ally in the Pacific, countering potential Chinese aggression, is irreplaceable. They’re in the process of increasing the size and capability of their military, a dramatic turn away from post–World War II pacifism. They remain the largest foreign investor in the U.S., although Canada is catching up to them.
Unfortunately, late last year, the Trump administration was strangely slow to take Japan’s side in a saber-rattling spat with China and Xi Jinping:
On Nov. 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responded to a question about a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. “If they use warships and that is accompanied with the use of force then, however you think about it, that could be a ‘survival-threatening situation.’ The government would judge how to respond based on all the information on the actual situation in specific individual cases,” she said.
That’s not exactly trash talk, but the Chinese government reacted with its long-familiar indignation and outrage. For the past month, the furious reactions from Chinese officials and media have only escalated, even to include some military provocations. Japan’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that over the weekend, Chinese military fighter jets twice locked their radar on Japanese aircraft over international waters southeast of Okinawa.
Again, you might think that some folks in the Trump administration would want to offer a word or two of support to the new Japanese prime minister as she faces down Chinese bullying. The good news is that after two weeks, U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass finally said, “I just want to say directly from the president and from myself and from the embassy for the prime minister, we have her back.”
The bad news is that’s just about all the Trump administration has said about the ongoing dispute. On Dec. 6, the Financial Times reported that Shigeo Yamada, Japan’s ambassador in Washington, has “asked the Trump administration to step up its public support for Tokyo.”
The further good news is that two days after that column ran, the U.S. did join Japan in sending a signal to the Chinese:
American strategic bombers trained alongside Japanese aircraft in what Washington and Tokyo described as a demonstration of their resolve following recent military tensions between Japan and China this week.
Two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress joined Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-15J and F-35A fighter jets over the Sea of Japan yesterday for a series of tactical exercises. According to the Joint Staff Office, the drills “strengthens the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance.”
This past weekend, the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won big — “a supermajority in the 465-member House of Representatives, the lower house of Japan’s bicameral Parliament, according to NHK, the public broadcaster. The party won 316 seats, up from 198, NHK said — the first time since World War II that a Japanese political party has won more than two-thirds of the seats.” (The Liberal Democratic Party is considered the conservative party.)
If you want closer cooperation between the U.S. and Japan, and a stronger deterrent against Chinese aggression against Taiwan, this is good news. Trump posted on Truth Social:
Congratulations to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Coalition on a LANDSLIDE Victory in today’s very important Vote. She is a highly respected and very popular Leader. Sanae’s bold and wise decision to call for an Election paid off big time. Her Party now runs the Legislature, holding a HISTORIC TWO THIRDS SUPERMAJORITY — The first time since World War Il. Sanae: It was my Honor to Endorse you and your Coalition. I wish you Great Success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength Agenda. The wonderful people of Japan, who voted with such enthusiasm, will always have my strong support.
And Takaichi responded: “Thank you, President Trump, for your warm and encouraging message of congratulations. I look forward to working closely with Donald to make both Japan and the United States more peaceful, stronger, and more prosperous.”
Takaichi is about as pro-American a leader as you’re going to find in Japan. In a world where not every U.S. ally is so enamored with Trump, the late Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba and now Takaichi have proven capable of building a strong relationship with Trump, even with his unique personality traits. At a time when so many traditional U.S. allies feel alienated and even betrayed, it’s nice to see the leaders of the U.S. and Japan still getting along well.