Kishida’s Ally Meets with Trump

The Vice-president of Liberal Democratic Party, former Prime Minister, Taro Aso, had a meeting with the presumptive Republican nominee for 2024 Presidential election of the United States, Donald Trump, in New York. While Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, enhanced bilateral relationship with US in the meeting with President, Joe Biden, earlier this month, Aso, as a close ally of Kishida, reached Biden’s rival. Although it is obvious that Aso’s approach to Trump should be an insurance in case of Trump’s victory in November, it may deliver a mixed message from Japan to US. 

Aso supported former Shinzo Abe administration as Minister of Finance as one of the closest allies. Knowing that political relationship in Japan, Trump welcomed Aso in his office in New York with embracing memories with late Prime Minister Abe. “He’s a highly respected man in Japan and beyond. And somebody that I’ve liked, and I’ve known through our very dear friend, Shinzo,” said Trump about the meeting with Aso, also referring to Abe.

 

Trump’s campaign said in a statement that Trump and Aso discussed the importance of the US-Japan alliance for security and stability of Indo-Pacific, and challenges posed by China and North Korea. According to news reports in Japan, the meeting was offered by the Trump’s side and Aso hoped to maintain the relationship with Trump on behalf of late Abe.

 

However, Trump is not necessarily making a preferable US President for Japan. In his address to the joint meeting of US Congress earlier this month, Kishida urged US exercising its leadership in the world affairs. “The leadership of United States is indispensable. Without US support, how long before the hopes of Ukraine collapse under the onslaught of Moscow?” said Kishida in the address.

 

Trump has been taking negative stance against Biden administration’s funding for Ukraine. It is unclear whether possible Trump administration will cooperate with Japan on supporting Ukraine. Trump also vowed to block Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel. Trump’s presidency may affect Japan’s international business with his “America First” trade policy.

 

Kishida administration took a certain distance from Aso’s meeting with Trump. “I would not comment on activities of a lawmaker with whom our government is not engaged,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, about Aso’s visit to Trump’s office.

 

However, the government of Japan knows well about Abe’s visit to Trump in November, 2016, soon after Trump won the Presidential election, which caused building close relationship with Trump, while European leaders could not have opportunity to do that. Asahi Shimbun reported that a senior staff with Ministry for Foreign Affairs received an inquiry from a person who had relationship with US government, “What’s going on?” The staff indicated a possibility that Biden administration took Aso’s meeting with Trump as a double standard in Japan’s diplomacy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Appeal for Human Rights in Okinawa

Supposedly disappointed by a court decision against him, Governor of Okinawa looked to the world. Governor Denny Tamaki gave a speech at United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on September 19 th , appealing that the human rights were severely damaged in Okinawa. To reconfirm its legitimacy and downgrade Okinawa’s protest, the government of Japan took another step to continue the landfill in Henoko for new military base. The government still shows no sign to exercise its “capability of listening” to local voices, which is a slogan of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. By the decision of Supreme Court earlier this month, which dismissed Okinawa’s appeal, accepting the landfill in Henoko became a legal mandate for Tamaki. Frustrated with the result, Tamaki chose the 54 th  session of UNHRC, beginning September 11 th  in Geneva, Switzerland, for his stage to argue the inhumanity of Japanese government. He insisted that building the base would be against the will of the people in Okinawa sh
Read more

Court Denies Indigenous People’s Right for Catching Salmon

Sapporo District Court dismissed a lawsuit of Raporo Ainu Nation, a regional group of indigenous people in Urahoro town in Hokkaido, which demanded confirmation of their inherent right to catch salmon in Tokachi river. While they argued that they had succeeded activity of fishery from their ancestors, the court turned the argument down based on the constitution and laws regulating fisheries. It made a contrast from international trend of broadly acknowledging indigenous people’s right. The lawsuit marked the first example for indigenous people in Japan to demand legal confirmation of indigenous rights. Raporo Ainu Nation sued the government of Japan and Hokkaido in 2021 of not recognizing their right to catch salmon in the lower Tokachi river. “It was baseless that the Japanese government in the Meiji era prohibited Ainu’s salmon fishery in the river,” they  argued . Their argument was not demanding confirmation of right for individuals, but for a tribe.   They argued that the Japanese
Read more

Contradiction in Struggle over Medical Service Fee

Fumio Kishida administration decided to raise the payment for medical service suppliers by 0.88% in FY 2024. While the administration is enthusiastic in raising wage of workers, the reform of national spendings to keep budgetary resource for key policies will be left behind. Kishida took the middle between those issues conflicting each other. The total amount of annual spendings for medical care is ¥45 trillion (in 2021), which is equivalent to the total of medical service fee. About 50 % of it is paid by health insurance, 40% is covered by national spendings and 10% is direct payment by the patients. The medical service fee consists of “main body,” which is spent for wage of the workers in medical institutions, and medicine prices.   Main body of the medical service fee is reviewed once in two years and medicine prices are changed every year through negotiation between Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and Ministry of Finance. In the review for FY 2022, the main body rose by 0.43%
Read more