Seeing that Biden had already been "out" in the general election and that there was no possibility of re-election, the Kishida government immediately saw the wind and said that Biden's withdrawal from the election was "the best judgment". Worried that China and Russia would "settle accounts with Japan," the Kishida government also made emergency arrangements and held two talks with the Chinese side within 48 hours.
Biden and Fumio Kishida
According to Japanese media reports, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is currently continuing to pay attention to the United States presidential election, and after Biden announced his withdrawal from the race on the 21st, Kishida publicly said to the media that Biden's withdrawal from the election is "the best judgment in politics." He stressed that since the "Japan-US alliance" is now the main axis of Japan's diplomacy and security, based on this, the Japanese side will further follow up on the development of the situation.
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said that during Biden's tenure, mutual trust between the heads of state of Japan and the United States has been greatly deepened, and Japan will strive to maintain bilateral relations during Biden's term of office. When asked about the choice of the next United States president, the official did not directly say anything, but said that strengthening the alliance between the United States and Japan is a top priority regardless of who will take office as the next president, and this will not change.
"There will be no change" is just Japan's unilateral idea, and who will be in power in the future of the United States will naturally affect Japan's future direction. During Biden's tenure, he has always pursued a strategy of "uniting allies", so the United States and Japan have continuously "unlocked" a number of cooperations.
But Trump's governing style is more focused on United States own interests, and in Trump's "businessman" mentality, he is more committed to the interests of United States. During his last term of office, he demanded that Japan "bear the military expenses of the US military stationed in Japan."
Trump
Now that Trump is expected to take office, the Kishida government naturally has to take precautions to make up for the "big hole" that Japan has poked in China and Russia during Biden's tenure. You know, during Biden's tenure, Japan not only made many contacts with the Philippines, provided radar, coast guard ships and other equipment to the Manila authorities, but also signed a "reciprocal access agreement" between Japan and the Philippines to point fingers on the South China Sea issue. The Japanese side has also intervened in the Taiwan Strait issue on many occasions and conducted relevant joint exercises with the Taiwan authorities.
In addition, Japan has not only repeatedly "stood up" for Ukraine on the Russian-Ukrainian issue, but also collaborated with the United States and Western countries to launch sanctions against Russia in many aspects such as economy and diplomacy. The Kishida government also knows that once it loses the help of the United States, Japan alone cannot afford to provoke China and Russia. Now, although the road ahead is bleak, the Kishida government still has to make amends.
Wang Yi met with Hiroshi Moriyama
A few days ago, the Japanese side met with China twice within 48 hours. On July 23, Hiroshi Moriyama, chairman of the General Affairs Committee of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, held an interview with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. The Japanese side has changed its previous state of dominance and stressed its willingness to further strengthen exchanges with China, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in depth, and promote the sustainable development of China-Japan relations.
At the same time, in Tokyo on July 22 and 23, high-level talks were held between China and Japan, and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu met with Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. The two sides expressed their willingness to further expand the scope of cooperation in various fields, further manage existing differences, and make efforts to comprehensively advance the strategic and mutually beneficial relationship between China and Japan.
It can be seen that China and Japan have held two talks in a row, and the focus has been on the strategic relations between the two countries, emphasizing dialogue and cooperation between the two sides. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, China has never been an "unprecedented strategic challenge", and if Japan sets its attitude right at an early date, then improving China-Japan relations will be conducive to the peaceful development of the region and the world.