Former Ambassador to U.S.: Japan Must Prepare for Possible Post-Trump Reversal; Many Negotiation Issues Precede Trump
Japan Institute of International Affairs President Kenichiro Sasae speaks during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun on Thursday in Tokyo.
Kenichiro Sasae, president of the Japan Institute of International Affairs, says Japan must keep hoisting the flag of multilateralism amid the current tariff turmoil and prepare a place for the United States if it decides to return to the established international order.
The following is excerpted from an interview with Sasae conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Kenta Kamimura.
Many of the issues raised by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, such as non-tariff barriers on automobiles exported to Japan and the lack of openness of agricultural markets, are both old and new challenges between the two countries that precede the first Trump administration. The key issue in the current negotiations is not 'how to skillfully deflect America's demands.'
Since the end of World War II, the United States has been at the center of the free trade system and the world order. Domestically, however, two competing views have always existed: an emphasis on free trade or an emphasis on employment. Depending on the administration, the balance of priorities can change.
As the relative power of the United States since the 2000s has declined, the country has become less able to open its markets as generously as before. The Trump administration is operating with this in mind, and its strategic goal of revitalizing U.S. industry, particularly manufacturing, is clear.
The trade imbalance between Japan and the United States in every field has been the subject of negotiations since the 1970s. Washington's basic philosophy has long been that 'the United States has fully opened its market, so Japan should do the same,' and Trump takes the same view.
However, the second Trump administration has weaponized tariffs, using them not only for industrial protection but also to reduce the fiscal deficit. It is unclear whether the formula Japan has adopted based on past negotiations with the United States will be effective this time around, so it is necessary to take a strategic approach while keeping in mind the short-, medium-, and long-term implications.
In the current negotiations, Japan's effort to resolve the automobile tariff issue first is correct. Just as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has explained to Trump, it is also important for Japan to continue investing in the United States.
Japan's stance of not taking an antagonistic approach toward Trump is also working in its favor. This is because the United States appears to want to achieve certain results with its ally Japan before dealing with China, which is the main target of its tariff measures. If proposals that are in line with Japan's national interests can be found, Japan should proceed with negotiations without hesitation.
In the long term, it would be wise to keep in mind that a 'Trump-like approach' may persist even after his four-year term ends. This opportunity should be used to consider industrial reforms that Japan should have pursued on its own.
Alongside Europe and Asia, Japan must continue to support multilateralism centered on the United Nations, as well as other global issues that would contribute to its national interests, even if the Trump administration turns its back on them. There may occur another reversal of opinion within the United States. It is Japan's role to prepare a seat for the United States should it decide to return to the established international order someday.
Kenichiro Sasae
Sasae is a graduate of the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Law. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1974 and served in such roles as director general of the Asia and Oceania Bureau and vice minister. As ambassador to the United States from 2012 to 2018, he was a negotiator with the United States regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sasae, 73, has been president of the Japan Institute of International Affairs since June 2018.
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