This year's G7 summit must check US isolationism
TOKYO -- As the Group of Seven summit marks its 50th year in Canada this month, Japanese and European leaders will once again confront the issue their predecessors faced half a century ago -- how to prevent Washington from retreating into isolationism and keeping it engaged in the world.
"The 'postwar' period unquestionably ended -- not only for Japan, but the entire world -- on January 20, 2025," Gerald Curtis, an American political scientist and Japan expert, said at the Japan National Press Club in late May.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
an hour ago
Chinese Premier Urges Japan to Stand against Trump Tariffs
News from Japan World Jun 3, 2025 23:11 (JST) Beijing, June 3 (Jiji Press)--Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday urged Japan to deepen cooperation with China to stand against high U.S. tariffs. In a meeting in Beijing with a delegation from the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Li said that the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration are a defiant challenge to nations around the world. According to sources with access to discussions at the meeting, Li said that the recent agreement between the United States and China to reduce their tariffs was based on the Chinese side's views. He also voiced hopes for expansion of Japanese companies' investments in China. Former House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono, who heads the delegation, said he is concerned that Japan-China relations may be rocked by outside influences. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
an hour ago
Japan to Push Back Target to Achieve Primary Budget Surplus
News from Japan Economy Jun 3, 2025 22:47 (JST) Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will effectively push back its target of achieving a primary budget surplus to fiscal 2025-2026, it was learned Tuesday. The existing target, adopted since fiscal 2018, calls for turning the primary balance at the central and local governments into a surplus in fiscal 2025. The new target will be included in a draft of the government's upcoming economic and fiscal policy guidelines. The draft says the government will reassess the target if necessary, given the uncertainties over the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy on Japan's economy and public finances. With possible fiscal spending to tackle fallouts from the tariffs and rising prices in mind, the draft says that the primary surplus target should not restrict macroeconomic policy options. It also points to a need to work on domestic efforts to increase Japanese government bond holdings in order to avoid a further rise in long-term interest rates, with the country making a transition to a world with interest rates. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
2 hours ago
PM Ishiba Mourns Death of Baseball Legend Nagashima
News from Japan Politics Jun 3, 2025 22:17 (JST) Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday mourned the death of Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima, who played for and then served as manager of the Yomiuri Giants. "I really admired Nagashima. He was the symbol of the golden age of the Giants," Ishiba told reporters at the prime minister's office. He expressed his sorrow for "the end of an era." The prime minister said that Nagashima deserved the People's Honor Award, which he received in 2013, saying that he was "as bright as the sun." "Nagashima was a rising star, and he lit up everyone around him," Ishiba added. Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who attended Nagashima's award ceremony as chief cabinet secretary, said, "As a fan, I was so happy to see him receive the award at the time." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
