ChinaTalk: Trump and Japan

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Why has Japan fallen out of Trump’s good graces? Will Japan close a deal with the U.S. before tariffs take effect? And how will the upcoming Japanese election impact relations? 

To find out, ChinaTalk interviewed Professor Tomohiko Taniguchi, a longtime observer of U.S.-Japan relations and former advisor to the late Shinzo Abe. 

In this episode we discuss

• Why 1970s trade competition is still impacting U.S.-Japan relations today, and how Japan could create “Wow factor” when dealing with Donald Trump,

• How Shinzo Abe used golf, dinner parties, and history lessons to cultivate a close personal friendship with Trump, 

• The roots of Japanese resolve in deadline with PRC aggression, 

• The emergence of Russian disinformation surrounding the Japanese election, 

• The political economy of the Japanese Self-Defense Force, and how Abe managed the controversy surrounding his reinterpretation of Article 9.

Co-hosting today is Charles Litchfield of the Atlantic Council. Thanks to the U.S.-Japan Foundation for sponsoring this episode. 

Outro music: Shinji Tanimura - Left Alone (YouTube Link) 

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