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Is Donald Trump’s threat to quit Japan defence pact just a negotiating tactic?
- Security analysts sceptical that US president would really pull plug on long-standing alliance and suggest it may be a ploy to extract concessions from Tokyo
- Freeing Japan from constraints imposed after World War II risks alarming China and triggering arms race in region
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Security analysts have dismissed suggestions that Donald Trump would pull out of the defence treaty with Japan, saying it was likely to be a negotiating tactic aimed at extorting greater trade concessions from Tokyo.
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They also warned that if Japan was freed from the restrictions imposed by the post-World War II alliance, it would build up its military – possibly acquiring nuclear weapons – which would unsettle China and trigger an “unrestricted” arms race in the region.
The US president is expected to arrive in Osaka on Thursday ahead of the G20 summit, where he is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday for much-anticipated trade talks.
However, Trump will also want similar talks with Japan as he pushes for a deal aimed at resolving a trade deficit that the United States says has reached US$67.6 billion.
On his last visit to Japan in May he agreed to suspend an increase in tariffs on Japanese cars for six months, and predicted the two sides would reach a deal “probably by August”.
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