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US-Japan relations

US-Japan relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Japan relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
last updated:
15 October, 2024
A combination image of US President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Photo: AFP
Japan

‘Trump likes winners’: Japan’s ‘weak’ PM meets America’s strongman

Armed with promises to buy US weapons and energy, Shigeru Ishiba hopes to stave off tariffs – but Trump is expected to push for more.

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Japan

Japan weighs trust in Trump as US says defence of Diaoyu Islands rock solid

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Japan

Hegseth, Nakatani discuss US-Japan defence alliance in first phone call

Japan

Japanese mum hopes Trump will get Kim to release her daughter after 48 years

The family of Megumi Yokota, who was 13 when she was abducted by North Korean agents in 1977, met the US president previously in Tokyo.

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Megumi Yokota, then 13, pictured at an undisclosed location in North Korea after her abduction from Japan. Photo: AP
Japan

In Trump 2.0, Japan faces a familiar uncertainty

Beneath the polite diplomacy lies a current of apprehension about what Donald Trump’s return means for Japan’s place in an upended world.

Japan

Japan’s PM hopes for ‘enduring’ US ties as Trump returns to power

Shigeru Ishiba says he’s eager to hold his first in-person summit with Trump soon to set a baseline for the bilateral relationship.

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Japan

How Japan ensures China doesn’t ‘steal the limelight’ at Trump’s inauguration

By dispatching its foreign minister to the event, Tokyo seems intent on asserting its influence – and avoiding being upstaged by Beijing.

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US president-elect Donald Trump speaks to thee media at the Mar-a-Lago residence on January 7. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Japan

Grounded ambitions: why Japan’s F-35B jets are running late

The stealth fighters, designed to operate from aircraft carriers, are central to Japan’s broader strategy of bolstering defence capabilities.

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United States

Biden admin delays order blocking Nippon Steel, US Steel deal

The delay could potentially give the two companies time to argue their case in court and salvage the deal.

War and conflict

Opinion | Why the US will not allow a nuclear-armed South Korea

While Seoul’s own nuclear defence would lessen the US security burden, it would also undermine American interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

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(From left) Incoming commander General Xavier Brunson, outgoing commander General Paul LaCamera, US Navy admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, and South Korea’s acting defence minister Kim Seon-ho inspect troops during a change-of-command ceremony for the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on December 20. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

Envoy says sloppy American defence firms pose ‘bigger risk’ for US than China

US envoy to Japan Rahm Emanuel said contractors prioritising stock buy-backs over timely arms deliveries could harm national security.

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A Lockheed Martin factory in west Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: TNS
Japan

Japan’s investments in US set to go on despite Nippon Steel’s takeover setback

The assessment by analysts comes after US President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel Corp’s US$14.9 billion bid for US Steel Corp.

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Japan

Nippon to file lawsuit over Biden’s decision to block US Steel sale

Japan’s industry minister Yoji Muto described Biden’s move to scuttle the deal as ‘incomprehensible’.

United States

Biden rejects Japanese deal to acquire US Steel

US president’s decision to block Nippon Steel could potentially damage relations between the US and Japan, America’s biggest ally in Asia.

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US President Joe Biden’s decision to block the purchase of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States failed to reach consensus on the deal’s national security risks. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China warns ‘dangerous’ US actions are raising risk of space arms race

Defence ministry in Beijing issues warning after the US Space Force extended its operations to Japan for the first time this month.

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China says it is committed to peaceful activities in outer space. Photo: Xinhua
Japan

Will a firm US stance on Diaoyu Islands be too ‘provocative’ for Japan?

US analyst urges Trump to resume military exercises on disputed islands to send message of deterrence to China, reinforce sovereignty stance.

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United States

Fate of Nippon Steel’s ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ bid for US Steel in Biden’s hands

Joe Biden has 15 days to decide on the US$15 billion sale, amid opposition from key stakeholders, and president-elect Trump, who says it is a national security risk.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | China can win Japan and South Korea over from a US under Trump

Amid political changes in the three countries, China can carve out a new strategic landscape in East Asia by offering trade and cooperation.

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South Korean protesters wear masks of President Yoon Suk-yeol (centre), US President Joe Biden and then Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida as they demonstrate against a trilateral military exercise in front of the US embassy in Seoul on June 27. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Is Taiwan a factor in US decision to start moving marines from Okinawa to Guam?

Move has been in the pipeline for over a decade, but Washington has only just agreed to start relocating its first troops stationed in Japan.

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Japan

Okinawa governor seeks deadline to relocate 9,000 US Marines amid safety concerns

Analysts doubt Governor Denny Tamaki’s request will be met due to the logistical complexity of transferring thousands of US troops to Guam.

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Japan

US starts relocating Marines from Japan’s Okinawa over base grievances

In 2012, the US said it would redeploy 9,000 Marines from the island where communities complain bases are an unfair burden.

(left to right) US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Japan’s Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Hiroyuki Namazu, and South Korea’s Vice-Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Cho Koo-rae in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

US defence chief Lloyd Austin reassures Japan amid China tensions, Trump policies

Austin’s visit, likely his last, aimed to solidify ties and ensure stability in the region, despite potential changes in US military presence and funding.

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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (left) shakes hands with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba n Tokyo, Japan on December 10. Photo: EPA-EFE/Pool
Japan

Japan’s Nippon Steel races to complete US Steel takeover before Trump 2.0

Analysts say Nippon Steel remains confident as it pushes for the deal to go through, despite Trump’s vow to block it.

China trade

Will Trump’s threats push China and Japan closer together?

Relations between the Asian powers have become highly strained in recent years, but officials from both sides are now talking up the value of cooperation.

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Japan

‘I will block this’: Trump vows to stop Japanese takeover of US Steel

US Steel may have to close if the Nippon Steel sale is blocked. Donald Trump says tax incentives and tariffs will make it ‘great again’.

US president-elect Donald Trump. On the campaign trail, he vowed to install protectionist economic policies to help support US businesses. Photo: AP
Japan

Return of US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Japan sends ‘clear message’

This deployment, alongside advanced F-35C fighters, aims to counter China’s growing military influence and bolster defence ties with Tokyo.

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The USS George Washington is pictured during a trilateral exercise among the US, Japan and South Korea on November 14. Photo: Reuters
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Hiroyuki Sanada on how he gave Shogun a real Japanese perspective

Sanada, who has appeared in Japanese films and US blockbusters, talks about making the cultural references in TV series Shogun authentic.

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US-China relations

China war scenario calls for US boost in defence spending to more than 3% of GDP

China’s projected military industrial base cannot be matched without increased spending, lawmakers hear.

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