Japanese security adviser voices concerns over potential threats to regional stability due to Trump's tariff measures in Asia.
Loosened Ties: The Unease of Japan Over U.S. Tariffs and Regional Security
The leading policy figure of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party voiced his worries on Monday, urging U.S. President Donald Trump to reconsider his plans for reciprocal tariffs. Hasato Onodera, thinking ahead, foresees these tariffs potentially straining Indo-Pacific security, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Onodera's sentiments were echoed during Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's current visit to Southeast Asia. Speaking at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, Onodera highlighted that countries part of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations might distance themselves from the U.S. due to the tariffs.
"We've got a concern," Onodera stated, translating his thoughts, hoping for a reevaluation of the Trump tariffs.
Trump has enforced 24% tariffs on Japanese exports to the U.S., and similar tariffs have been proposed for ASEAN nations, though most remain on hold until July for negotiations. A 10% universal rate persists, along with a 25% duty on automobiles, a major component of Japan's export-driven economy.
Japan's trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is scheduled for a new round of negotiations this week in Washington.
Onodera underlined Ishiba's deep concerns for ASEAN countries, explaining, "The Trump tariffs could affect not just the economy but security as well." He added, "We hope these tariffs won't undermine our deterrence efforts with the U.S."
Stability in East Asia, Onodera emphasized, depends on the United States and Japan offering enhanced deterrence. He also brought attention to Japan's substantial foreign investments in the U.S., acknowledging that weakening Japanese companies with tariffs might compromise their capacity to fund these investments.
Onodera deemed the possibility of the United States Agency for International Development's dismantling problematic, expressing hope that Japan could support the U.S. in this transition. "Perhaps, this is the time for Japan to support the United States," he concluded.
These concerns mirror broader anxieties, such as House Democrats' belief that tariffs could cause "collateral damage" to military diplomacy with partners like Australia and the Philippines, and experts' opinions that tariffs accelerate U.S. exclusion from Indo-Pacific supply chains[3][2][4]. Additionally, the potential impact of tariffs on joint U.S.-Japan deterrence measures against threats from China, Russia, and North Korea, and the erosion of security partnerships and confidence in U.S. regional commitments in Southeast Asian nations, raise further concerns[5].
- Ishiba, during his visit to Southeast Asia, shared Onodera's concerns about the potential impact of tariffs on regional security.
- Onodera fears that the Trump tariffs might push ASEAN countries to distance themselves from the U.S., affecting not just the economy but security as well.
- Japan's trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, is set to discuss the tariffs in a new round of negotiations in Washington this week.
- Onodera believes that the tariffs could undermine Japan's deterrence efforts with the U.S., potentially compromising their capacity to fund foreign investments in the U.S.
- Onodera expressed hope that Japan could support the U.S. in the potential dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development.
- The tariffs could cause "collateral damage" to military diplomacy with partners like Australia and the Philippines, according to House Democrats, and they might also accelerate U.S. exclusion from Indo-Pacific supply chains.
- Experts suggest that the tariffs could erode security partnerships and confidence in U.S. regional commitments in Southeast Asian nations, raising further concerns about stability in East Asia.
