US-Japan relations undergoing era-defining crisis
Aside from deep economic ties, Japan hosts dozens of US military bases, which account for much of Washington's presence in the vicinity of its key rival, China.
The newspaper cited several unnamed senior officials on both sides of the Pacific as warning of a 'fundamental fragility,' highlighted by US President Donald Trump's treatment of Japan with regard to tariffs earlier this month. The media outlet's sources reportedly predicted that an 'era-defining reset is now inevitable.'
The publication quoted Christopher Johnstone, a former White House official who currently works for The Asia Group consultancy, as suggesting that the 'challenges go deeper than any single figure in the administration.' He claimed that there is a growing impression among Japan's leadership that 'for the Trump team, nothing is sacred and everything is transactional.'
Rahm Emanuel, who served as US ambassador to Japan under President Joe Biden, told the FT that the ongoing rift over trade could also have implications for the Asia-Pacific region's security architecture.
The media outlet noted that President Trump's latest remarks concerning Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba were far chillier than statements he made just a few months earlier. The FT pointed out that, in issuing blanket trade terms without differentiating between Japan and countries generally considered to be lesser partners for Washington, Trump essentially snubbed a major ally.
According to the report, while the US president had expected the Japanese prime minister to 'be a relatively easy partner' in trade talks, Ishiba had sought a total tariff exemption – a mutual misjudgment that has supposedly left both dissatisfied.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform last Monday, the US president announced the imposition of new 25% tariffs on Japan, along with several other nations. Trump claimed that economic ties with Tokyo had 'been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.'
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