On January 25, 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated on Friday (January 24) that he will seek to maintain regional security and is preparing to negotiate with U.S. President Donald Trump to secure his commitment to continue the strong U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Since Trump’s election victory in November last year, Ishiba has been seeking a meeting with him and plans to travel to Washington in the coming weeks.
Recently, Ishiba has been working hard to stabilize his minority government. Anger among voters over financial scandals within his party led to a disastrous defeat in last October’s election. His government is now striving to maintain its position in power at least until the next general election in the summer of this year.
In a policy speech to the parliament, Ishiba stated, “As historical changes shift the balance of power in the region, we must deepen cooperation between Japan and the United States to ensure America’s commitment to this region and prevent any power vacuum from destabilizing the region.”
Japan’s concerns about the U.S. withdrawing troops from the region stem from China’s increasing military strength in the East China Sea and South China Sea, as well as North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile tests in advancing its nuclear and missile programs.
Ishiba said that Japan is facing its “most severe and complex security environment since World War II” and needs to enhance its defense capabilities, elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance, and expand and deepen relationships with other partners.
The United States is Japan’s only treaty ally, but Japanese officials are worried that Trump may not prioritize the regional relationships developed by former President Biden to counter China’s growing ambitions. Ishiba emphasized that strengthening dialogue is key to avoiding misunderstandings.
Tokyo has always regarded deepening Japan-U.S. relations as the cornerstone of its foreign and security policy.
This week, Ishiba expressed his desire to discuss with Trump how Japan and the U.S. can “fully consider each other’s national interests” while contributing to global peace and economic growth.
He stated on Friday, “Enhancing a multi-layered regional security network and strengthening the free and open Indo-Pacific region are crucial for Japan-U.S. leadership.”
In addition to deepening Japan-U.S. relations, Ishiba aims to establish a multilateral framework, such as trilateral cooperation with South Korea and the Philippines and the Quad cooperation involving Australia and India alongside the U.S. and Japan.
To demonstrate his commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, Ishiba recently visited Indonesia and Malaysia and sent Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to China, South Korea, and the Philippines.
According to Nikkei news analysis, the new Trump administration is expected to prioritize “deals” in terms of economics and security. Increased Japanese direct investment balance with the U.S. and defense spending since Trump’s first term began in 2017 has risen by about 60% each. This could serve as a bargaining chip for Japan.
In 2022, Japan formulated a new national security strategy, setting the total defense budget for the fiscal years 2023-2027 at around 43 trillion yen. The initial budget for the fiscal year 2024 increased by nearly 60% compared to 2017. The first term of the Trump administration urged Japan to significantly increase defense spending, and the second term may also demand allied countries to increase their burdens.
According to data from Japan’s Defense White Paper, by 2024, China’s military had increased its total tonnage of ships by 50% and the number of operational aircraft by about 20% compared to 2017. This has made multilateral mechanisms centered around the Japan-U.S. alliance increasingly necessary.