US–Japan Relationship to Be Defense-Centric, Analyst Says as Trump Meets With Japan's New Leader

President Trump is in Japan as part of his Asia tour. He's already met with the Japanese emperor and will meet with the new prime minister Sanane Takiichi. Itichi is known as a China hawk and is consistently criticized the Chinese Communist Party. In fact, Chinese leader Xiinping did not send her her congratulatory note when she won. He usually does. And joining us now to discuss why Trump is focused on Asia right now and how what's happening there could impact us here is Andrew Harding, senior associate for National Security Coalitions at the Heritage Foundation. Andrew, good evening. >> Thanks for having me, Paul. >> Andrew, Japan's new prime minister has been labeled as Japan first. What do you put her success down to? Well, I think the new prime minister's success comes down to really prioritizing the national interest of Japan. That's exactly what you'll be looking for in a prime minister and a leader of your country. And I think that type of foundation is going to resonate very well with President Trump. We know that the new prime minister, Prime Minister Takayichi, is very much focused on putting Japanese interests first. She's very interested in providing economic security for the Japanese people. She's very focused on having an anti-China uh perspective when it comes to national security and that's the right type of position a Japanese prime minister ought to have in today's current security dynamics in the Indoacific. As you may note and others may know, the new prime minister worked very closely and as an aid and a prior minister under Shinszo A, the former Japanese prime minister for multiple years and this is the type of legacy that she hopes to continue. She's also made very clear that she is a supporter of the late former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. So combining this all together, this type of foundation of wanting to advance Japanese national interest and work with leaders such as President Trump that has a same perspective for their own countries, that to me is a recipe for success and something that I'm looking forward to in seeing the upcoming meeting between the two leaders. >> Why do you think Japan was ready to uh elect Takahuchi now? Well, I I think in Japan, they're very much looking at like with any country, how do you resolve any domestic problems that you need a strong new leader in in position uh that can address the concerns that the people have? So, of course, in Japanese domestic politics and the current ruling party LDP is having to work through who that next leader may be. Uh we know however that the people are very pleased with these recent leadership decisions. Uh specifically, we know that the prime new prime minister has an approval rating right now of just about 70%. That is a very high number, especially when if you're looking at US presidential numbers, you're commonly seeing a presidential approval rating hovering around 50 or so percent depending on the poll you look at. So for the prime minister, the new prime minister of Japan to come in at an approval rating of around 70% tells me that the Japanese people have faith in her to address inflationary pressures that are looking at how to reduce the cost of living in Japan. These problems are are very much acts action items that the prime minister wants to get moving on immediately. And I'm sure that President Trump as he's visiting Asia will be able to resonate w with different similar policy ideas of looking to reduce the cost of living certainly in the United States and looking at what types of relationships can the US and Japan improve upon to help make those realities possible for both countries. >> It seems people are facing the same issues worldwide. Andrew, um it and I believe her her approval ratings are historically high which as you mentioned is quite incredible to see somebody with that level of support. Now, Takichi, she calls Communist China a major threat in the region. How might the United States and Japan work together to counter China? >> Well, Paul, this one of the most critical questions that I really think this meeting with President Trump and the new Prime Minister Takahuchi will really lead to some progress there. First and foremost, I'm looking at defense. The new prime minister and Japan are very cleareyed about the threat that China poses to not only to Japan, but to the entire Indoacific region. Uh, Prime Minister Takichi has made very clear that she views Taiwan as a partner, has openly looked at ways to work more closely with Taiwan, having previously met uh, with prime with the president of Taiwan herself in a previous role. What what that tells me I is that the prime minister is going to look at a defense question, look at the region and the China relationship in a national security angle, looking to safeguard Japan from China's economic tools that China has shown it's willing to weaponize not only against Japan but the United States and the entire world specifically with recent export controls that has certainly really caused a lot of concern around the world. So what that tells me is this relationship will be defense-centric, look at economic security and as a result allow the US and Japan to grow more closely. This is a shared threat backed by shared values with shared interests and that tells me that we can have a good relationship moving forward with a prime minister and president aligned on these issues that I'm really optimistic about. President Trump said he will also bring up the Taiwan issue with Chinese leader Xiinping when he meets him uh later this week or early early next week. Um what are you expecting to come out of that meeting between Trump and she? >> Well, what I'm really looking for is following the meeting with President Trump and General Secretary Xin Ping. I want to see a if there's going to be agreements made and there may not be. President Trump has made very clear that he will only agree to things that are in America's interest, that it makes sense to do on behalf of the American people. It's the type of leadership that the American people ought to support and and welcome when it comes to advocating for America on the world stage and interacting in one of the most important, if not the most single most important bilateral relationships that the US has with the People's Republic of China. So with this in mind, I think the president should really keep pushing for an agreement or any types of deals or or whatnot that may come from these meetings that makes Americans safer, that makes a fair America stronger, more secure, and makes America more prosperous. Whether that comes to ensuring that export controls cannot be weaponized against the United States, ensuring that rare earth minerals can continue to get into the United States to ensure our military has the resources it needs, but also American consumers have the products they need. This also looks like pushing back on fentinol, ensuring that fentinol precursors from China stop making their way into the United States and killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. It also looks at agricultural access, ensuring that American farmers are able to have fair, competitive access to selling soybeans is one particular example. So at the as the president works on this with general secretary she, those are the types of things that I think we should be looking for. >> Well, Andrew, let's hope the CCP make good on those promises this time. Andrew Harding at the Heritage Foundation. Thank you, Andrew. Thanks for having