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

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

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United States

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

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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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 and China have greater incentives to deepen economic ties amid rising global uncertainties. Photo: Reuters
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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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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Members of the US House select committee on China take part in an interactive simulation on the state of the US defence industrial base on Wednesday. Photo: Laura Zhou
Japan

Lift-off in Japan and US space cooperation to counter China with Tokyo facility

The Space Force office’s launch comes as China expands its reconnaissance satellites and space-based jamming technology.

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An H3 rocket lifts off from Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima, southern Japan last year. Photo: AP
Japan

Japan downplays Trump pick Gabbard’s warnings of its military threat to US

Gabbard, who Trump has nominated as his director of national intelligence, warned against a ‘remilitarised Japan’ in a social media post.

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Japan

Is Japan’s Ishiba too ‘weak’ to deal with Trump? Split views on talks

Conservatives urge Ishiba to wait until his domestic political position stabilises, while others say avoiding Trump could pose greater risks.

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United States

Opinion | Trump will ask Asia-Pacific what it can offer. Leaders must think hard

From support for the US military industrial complex to countering China, leaders must start deciding their trade-offs, bottom lines and no-go areas.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Japan

Japan ‘bracing for what might come’ from Trump’s return to the White House

Tokyo is concerned about potential US troop withdrawals, higher defence costs, and the impact of new tariffs on Japanese businesses operating in China.

Japan

Japan grounds its V-22 Osprey fleet again after flight incident

The incident happened during a joint military exercise featuring US and Japanese forces.

Japan

Macroscope | Japan’s election results could have global ramifications

Tokyo’s power vacuum, and questions over Japan’s policies and its relationship with the US under Harris or Trump, could have deeper economic impacts.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at a media interview at the headquarters of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on October 27. Photo: Kyodo
US-China relations

Wary of China, US ranks Japan ‘first’ among Aukus partners: envoy

‘Very close’ talks under way as Washington seeks Tokyo’s cyber-related and other technological support amid deeper Indo-Pacific engagement.

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US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell (centre) attends a trilateral meeting with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

My Take | Japan’s Ishiba to focus on security ties with South Korea to counter Pyongyang

Shigeru Ishiba’s ‘progressive’ views on thorny historical issues have raised hopes that ties between Japan and South Korea could improve.

Japan

US diplomat proposes Nato-like trade bloc to tackle China’s economic coercion

Rahm Emanuel said the coalition needs the economic equivalent of Nato’s Article 5 for effectiveness.

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Japan

Could a rebrand revive Japan’s ‘Asian Nato’ idea to counter China?

Shigeru Ishiba’s call for a Nato-like alliance looks dead in the water without US support. But analysts say it could still make a comeback.

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A Nato flag. US officials have said it’s “too early to talk about” setting up an Asian Nato. Photo: EPA-EFE
India

India rejects Japan’s call for ‘Asian Nato’, despite growing China tensions

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said unlike Japan, India had never been a treaty ally of another country.

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Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister, speaks during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday. Photo: Bloomberg
Japan

US deploys laser-equipped warship to Japan with eye on China war threat

USS Preble is the only American destroyer with the advanced Helios laser weapon that can intercept aerial threats such as drones and missiles.

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Joe Biden

Biden to host Quad leaders in hometown farewell

Biden has strongly pushed the four-way Quad grouping as part of an emphasis on international alliances to rein in adversaries.

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