TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, struggling to stabilize his minority government, said Friday he will seek to maintain regional security and prepare for tough negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump to win his commitment to maintain a strong American presence in the Asia-Pacific.
Ishiba has been seeking to meet with 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, Ishiba is struggling to stay in power at least until the next major elections this summer.
“With the balance of power in the region making a historic change, we must further deepen Japan-U.S. cooperation and ensure the U.S. commitment to the region to prevent any power vacuum from destabilizing it,” Ishiba said in a policy speech to parliament.
Japan’s concern about a U.S. retreat from the region comes as China ‘s military is becoming increasingly assertive and North Korea has repeatedly test-fired ballistic missiles as it advances its nuclear and missile programs.
Ishiba said Japan faces “the most severe and complicated security environment” since World War II and needs to bolster its own defense capabilities and elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance while expanding and deepening ties with other partners.
The United States is Japan’s only treaty ally and Japanese officials are worried that Trump is likely to place less importance on relationships in the region developed under former U.S. President Joe Biden to counter China’s growing influence.
Ishiba said increased dialogue is key to avoiding misunderstandings and expressed a willingness to achieve constructive relations with China.
In addition to deepening Japan-U.S. ties, which Tokyo has traditionally considered the cornerstone of its foreign and security policies, 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.
He said this week that he hopes to discuss with Trump how Japan and the United States can make “the most of each other’s national interests” and contribute to global peace and economic growth.
“In order to build multi-layered networks for regional security and strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific, Japan-U.S. leadership is essential,” he said Friday.
To demonstrate his emphasis on the region, 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.
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