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Japan sends feelers to Trump: don’t strike a deal with China that could rock regional peace
- Tokyo is worried that if Trump returns to power he may seek some kind of trade or security pact with Beijing, undermining years of efforts to rein in the Asian giant
- Japan’s ruling party is also looking for a candidate who can speak English and play golf with the Republican when it holds a leadership vote later this year
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Japan, America’s closest ally in Asia, has been trying to send a message to US presidential hopeful Donald Trump: don’t try to strike any deal with China that could upend years of collective efforts to rein in Beijing and risk the region’s fragile peace.
Tokyo has stepped up attempts to engage with people close to Trump in recent weeks, as the 77-year-old’s victories in Republican primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire have seen him emerge in some polls as the front runner in November’s presidential election.
The outreach – detailed in interviews with six Japanese officials, much of it previously unreported – comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida prepares for an April state visit to the US at President Joe Biden’s invitation.
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Japan’s endeavours have included dispatching a senior ruling-party figure to try to meet Trump, and engagement by Japanese diplomats with think tanks and former US officials aligned with Trump, three of the officials said.
Top of Tokyo’s worry list is that if Trump returns to power he may seek some kind of trade or security deal between the world’s top two economies that could undermine recent efforts by the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations to counter China, according to the six officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity.
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Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination.
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