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US-Japan relations

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US-Japan relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Japan relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
US Army General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea (right) has described South Korea as “the dagger in the heart of Asia”. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

China slams US commander’s ‘dagger’ label for South Korea

Chinese embassy in Seoul says US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson’s ‘hostile and aggressive remarks’ on podcast ‘crossed the line’.

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Japan

Why a 2-year US missile delay could expose a ‘serious contradiction’ with Japan

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Japan

US to send powerful missile systems to Japan for drills amid China tensions

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South Korea

Japan, South Korea hone diplomatic ‘muscle memory’ amid Taiwan worries

Energy security and supply chains topped the summit’s formal agenda. The subtext was a fear of ‘alliance abandonment’, analysts say.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poses for photographs after receiving a gift of glasses from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday. Photo: South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap/Reuters
Japan

How a Japanese deal to appease Trump resulted in Texans protesting in Tokyo

Community groups from the Freeport area are urging Japanese financiers and ministries not to back fossil fuel infrastructure.

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Japan

Why Japan’s ruling party is pushing for 5% military spending

The ruling party is expected to debate raising outlays to as much as 5 per cent of GDP, in line with that of many Nato members.

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China trade

Sino-Japanese relations

China and Japan have forged strong economic ties, despite having regular diplomatic rows over disputed territories and the legacy of the Second World War. The latest escalation occurred in November after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Japan’s military forces could be deployed in the event of conflict in the Strait of Taiwan.

Sino-Japanese relations
Japan

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

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US military

Pentagon mulls plan to outsource warship design, building to South Korea, Japan

If the proposal goes ahead it will be the first time the US has bought a major surface combatant from a foreign partner since WWII.

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Japan

‘Dragon Ball’ diplomacy: Japan’s Takaichi builds rapport with personal touches

Japan’s first female prime minister uses expressive gestures, thoughtful gifts and music to connect with foreign leaders.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron strike the “Kamehameha” pose from the “Dragon Ball” manga after a joint press conference at the State Guest House in Tokyo on April 1. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan’s Trump tariff deal faces climate backlash over projects’ 20% carbon surge

Campaigners said the three US projects could generate greenhouse gas emissions equal to about 20 per cent of Japan’s annual total.

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US President Donald Trump met Japan’s economic revitalisation minister Ryosei Akazawa and his delegation in Washington on April 16, 2025. The meeting came as Tokyo sought relief from US tariff pressure. Photo: Reuters
Japan

US delays Japan’s Tomahawk missile supplies as Iran strikes take priority

The missiles are key to boosting Tokyo’s long-range strike capabilities to deal with challenges from China and North Korea.

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Japan

Businesses, smokers burnt by Japan’s record US$8 billion defence budget

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of Japan’s gross domestic product.

Japan

Trump’s ‘wind-up doll’? Japan’s PM faces backlash over White House fawning

White House imagery showing Sanae Takaichi cheering for a rock song and laughing at a jibe at Joe Biden left some in Japan feeling ‘ashamed’.

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A photograph published by the White House shows Takaichi arriving at an official dinner with her fists raised, handbag over one arm, apparently shouting with delight. Photo: White House
Japan

Japan may send ‘top level’ minesweepers to Hormuz after ceasefire

Foreign Minister Motegi also announced the release and return of one of the two Japanese nationals previously detained in Iran.

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A Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s minesweeper makes a port call in Cambodia last year. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan PM conveys to Trump her ‘strong intent’ to meet North Korea’s Kim

Takaichi said she has ‘received full support from the president towards an immediate solution’ to Pyongyang’s abductions of Japanese nationals.

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United States

Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbour in otherwise positive Takaichi talks

Two leaders tout bilateral relationship and pledge to work cooperatively on trade.

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US-China relations

Why delayed US-China summit raises stakes for Takaichi ahead of White House visit

Analysts say the combination of the Iran war and the new date for Trump’s trip to Beijing could put Japan’s leader on the defensive.

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Can US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi maintain the rapport of their meeting in Japan last October? Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Trump wants Japanese warships in Hormuz. Can Takaichi ‘dodge the bullet’?

The Iran war complicates Trump-Takaichi talks, putting her in a bind between US demands and constitutional limits on military action.

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Japan

In Japan, video of exhausted Takaichi sparks health fears ahead of US trip

The prime minister is expected to announce Tokyo’s participation in the US’ ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence system when she meets Trump.

China-Japan relations

Opinion | Japan’s rightward shift puts it on a collision course with China

Any attempt by the Takaichi administration to revise the constitution and re-arm the country will ignite fierce opposition from Beijing.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions during a plenary session of the House of Representatives in Tokyo on February 24. Photo: AFP
Japan

Macroscope | Why Japan should push back on Trump’s investment demands

Trump’s use of tariff threats to strong-arm foreign governments, companies and investors into funding US projects should be resisted.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, with US President Donald Trump, speaks to members of the military aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier docked at the American naval base in Yokosuka, Japan on October 28, 2025. Photo: AP
Japan

Why plan by US and Japan to relocate Okinawa airbase is hitting turbulence

The US does not intend to vacate the current airbase for now due to disagreement over runway length at a replacement site, a report says.

Japan

Trump unveils first Japan investments under trade deal with US

The president hailed the projects – a critical minerals site, a gas power plant and an LNG facility in the US – ahead of PM Takaichi’s visit.

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Japan

Is Japan’s US$550-billion Trump ‘signing bonus’ a deal with strings attached?

Tokyo races to fund US projects to keep a 15 per cent tariff rate, as critics question if the ‘signing bonus’ is a gift or a high-interest loan.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) reacts while speaking to US troops aboard the USS George Washington with US President Donlald Trump in Yokosuka in October 2025. Photo: AP
Japan

Opinion | Will Japan’s election result trigger a security spiral with China?

The result of Japan’s election has altered Tokyo’s domestic political calculus while raising the stakes for regional stability.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

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Donald Trump

Trump announces White House visit by Japanese PM Takaichi on March 19

The US and Japan have been working to strike a ‘very substantial’ deal on trade, as well as collaborating on national security, Trump said.

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