In Japan, a second term of ‘foolhardy’ Trump is viewed unfavourably amid US-China rivalry
- Just 1 in 10 people believe a second term for US President Donald Trump would be positive for Japan, according to a poll
- Possible fallout from a trade row, coronavirus cases linked to US troops in Japan, and military conflict in the Asia-Pacific are cited as causes for concern
In the survey, 57 per cent of Japanese indicated a victory for Trump in November would be “negative” for Japan. Just 10 per cent said that re-election would be “positive”, while the remainder had no opinion or said it would have no impact on Japan.
“Traditionally, Japanese people have held a kind disposition towards American leaders, even supporting President George W. Bush in the Iraq War, for example,” said Koichi Nakano, a professor of politics at Tokyo’s Sophia University. “So in some ways, these figures are a surprise.”
Japanese think that re-electing Trump in November would be like giving the car keys to a drunk
“But on the other hand, they are not a surprise,” he added. “Trump comes across as being foolhardy, of acting quite bizarrely at times, of conduct that is basically quite dangerous, and that is all being reported in Japan.”