Hong Kong – What’s the difference in a few months?
The United States and its long -standing allies, Japan and South Korea, are strengthening relations in recent years, in recent years, and as a three -way partnership, in an attempt to fight the dynamic China and North Korea. But recent political changes in all three countries have injecting a new uncertainty in their relations.
South Korean President Yun Sik Yol is facing a trial on his efforts to declare martial law in December, and will take place several months before the country’s clear leader. In Japan, Prime Minister Shigro Esba has been surrendered by a minority government in the October parliamentary elections after a minority government has shown poor performance by his scandal.
And in the United States, voters elected a president in November that dislikes alliance and prefers to deal with countries individually, and who in its first term of US security umbrella on Japan and South Korea Under the accusation of “free loading”.
On Friday, Ashiba is ready to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House, the first major indication of how the new US administration will hold talks with the two Asian democracies.
Like the United States, the two countries are cautious of China’s rise, but also count it among their top trade partners. The challenge for Ashiba is to sell Trump on the importance of US security commitments in Asia, and Trump has avoided the imposing taxes on China and threatened to impose US allies and Mexico.
Ashiba said that during his visit to Trump, he planned to work hard to establish a mutual trust relationship.
“I hope we can confirm that Japan and the United States are cooperating on issues like economy and security, it will bring peace and not for the region of free and openly ordinary Pacific, but the rest of the world. Progress will also be allowed for. “The Japanese leader told reporters in Tokyo on Thursday.
Japanese visit
The visit is looking for “neutral results”, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin is probably happy to be the second foreign leader to meet Trump after Netanyahu. Japan
“He will not try to win any points or get a gift from the United States,” he said. “He knows no one is available.”
The same is likely that they can emphasize the role of Japan as the largest foreign investor in the United States – in December, the head of the Japanese tech party’s soft bank, Masoshi’s son, the next four in a meeting with Trump. He promised to invest $ 100 billion in the United States over the years.
Business relationships with Japan have been pressured by a $ 15 billion bid by its largest steel maker for US Steel based in Pittsburgh, which former President Joe Biden cited last month’s national security concerns Was stopped. Trump also opposes the deal, which says Napon Steel says it has not withdrawn.
Anthony Rapa, a colleague and co -chair of the International Trade Practice Group in Washington’s Blank Room, said the deal was unlikely to withdraw. China
“He said, rejecting the deal was really staging, considering the historical proximity of both countries, Japan stands as a top US investor, and the fact that has never been before Even on the basis of national security, no Japanese investment was blocked, at least not publicly, “he said in an email.
Nippon Steel Vice Chairman, Takharo Mori, said Thursday that the company is looking closely at the Asba Trump Summit and hopes it will “be a catalyst that will open the way to the future.”
Kosik said that Ashiba would “avoid” to “completely” with Trump, especially since Napon Steel is prosecuted for withholding the deal.
“There is no reason to bring it out,” Kosik said. “There is no use that he gets out of it.”
Ashiba is unlikely to join Trump along with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022 and had close personal relations with Trump. Kosk said the current Japanese leaders have a different temperament from Abe. Which won the president with a charming aggression, which included flattery and golf.
“Nevertheless, in matters with Donald Trump, he has this playbook that is merely to flatter the person,” he said.
Anxiety in South Korea
In South Korea, there are concerns that the country may be left behind in engage with the Trump administration due to political instability after Yun’s short -term martial law order.
The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to decide whether Yun, who is suspended by the presidential duties after being affected by the lawmakers, should be really removed from office. If that is, South Korea will have 60 60 days of presidential by -elections.
Although immediately the Trump’s election victory in November. Trump later called with Yun, but he did not set up with South Korean President Choi Sang Mock.
“There is no way that Trump will really engage directly”, who focuses on the Korean peninsula, said Jennifer Lee, a principal of Washington’s Asia Group.
“So wait six months for such a high level meeting will definitely hurt the country,” he said, especially looking at the uncertainty about the Trump administration’s policies.
However, there is more contact, in which the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his South Korean counterpart, Chu Tai Yolul, and National Security Advisor Mike Walts and his South Korean counterpart last month. Includes a phone call on Wednesday between Shin One-One-Wednesday. Co.
An area where South Korea is desperate to harmonize with the United States is North Korea, where leader Kim Jong Un is pushing his nuclear and ballistic missile programs and his own rhetoric against the United States, South Korea and others. Rising
Trump has said he plans to reach less, which he met three times during his first term.
“There is a lot of trouble here, especially they have not been included in the US North Korea’s possible dialogue,” Lee said, who recently returned from South Korea.
Japan, which has also been directly threatened by North Korea, shares several potential challenges with South Korea in a new Trump administration.
Thousands of US troops have been hosted in both countries, and both countries were under pressure during Trump’s first term that would cost more.
At last, after Trump announced 25 % of the revenue on US allies Canada and Mexico, prices have another potential concern. South Korea, which is dependent on export economy, is particularly weak, and due to its facilities in Mexico and China, South Korean companies such as Hundi, Samsung and LG have been exposed, where the United States on Tuesday 10 % tariff imposed. .
Although both South Korea and Japan will be affected if Trump has imposed a blanket tariff on all US imports when he floats, but both Lee and Coke said no clear reason for being directly targeted by Canada, Mexico and China No The alleged role in the American fantasy crisis.
“There is no such thing that can give excuses for the use of taxes,” Kosik said.
Jennifer Jet reported from Hong Kong, Stella Kim from Tokyo from Arto Yamamoto and South Korea’s Seoul.
