Katsuyuki Kawai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker who advises Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on foreign affairs, raised his “personal” concern over the change in US foreign policy under Trump. He said in a Reuters interview that the alliance between Japan and the US has “changed from one based on shared values to a transactional alliance.” And, “this is the reality now”. He also pointed to the Kim-Trump submit and said it “will serve as a trigger for the Japanese people to begin to realize that it is risky to leave Japan’s destiny to another country.”
An unnamed Japanese government source also said “trade is more worrisome,” and “it’s getting worse … There is no reliable (U.S.) cabinet level person who can say ‘No’ to unreasonable proposals.”
The Nikkei business newspaper also criticized in a weekend analysis that “Mr. Trump mixes up economics and security with the mind-set of a real estate deal is a big cause for concern”.
