The second Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) was released on December 4. In it, Japan is named five times. First, in the context of encouraging India to contribute to Indo-Pacific security through “the Quad” framework, which also includes Japan. 

The second and third mentions are in the context of international economic architecture. The NSS calls on Japan – among other countries – to “adopt trade policies that help rebalance China’s economy toward household consumption.” Later, it notes that Japan – among other countries – holds foreign assets that can be used for a joint plan to develop the Global South. 

The fourth mention touches on how Japan will suffer if the South China Sea is controlled by any competitor, and therefore, Japan should cooperate with the United States to prevent this outcome. 

And finally, the fifth time Japan is named involves the now-standard call for increased defense spending: “Given President Trump’s insistence on increased burden-sharing from Japan and South Korea, we must urge these countries to increase defense spending, with a focus on the capabilities – including new capabilities – necessary to deter adversaries and protect the First Island Chain.” 

As the Japanese archipelago is part of the First Island Chain, there is another passage in the NSS that directly relates to Japan: 

We will build a military capable of denying aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain. But the American military cannot, and should not have to, do this alone. Our allies must step up and spend – and more importantly do – much more for collective defense. America’s diplomatic efforts should focus on pressing our First Island Chain allies and partners to allow the U.S. military greater access to their ports and other facilities, to spend more on their own defense,........

© The Diplomat