Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the PacificAuthor: Editorial Board, ANU
The question of Shinzo Abe’s legacy has been thrust into the spotlight by recent milestones. Abe overtook his great-uncle Eisaku Sato to become the longest serving post-war Japanese prime minister on 23 August this year. And on 20 November, Abe overtook Taro Katsura to become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister since the inception of parliamentary politics in Japan in 1889.
Beyond his longevity, what will Abe be most remembered for?
Author: Sheila A Smith, CFR
Shinzo Abe became Japan’s longest serving prime minister on 20 November 2019. Staying atop a parliamentary democracy seems a herculean task these days, but it is especially hard in Japan where prime ministers have come and gone with alacrity. But more than time served, Abe will be remembered for what he did while in power: He has returned his party to centre stage, reasserted Japan’s standing on the world stage and reinforced the foundations of Japan’s strategy in a turbulent Asia.
Author: Editorial Board, ANU
US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inked the US–Japan Trade Agreement to much fanfare on 25 September 2019. Abe declared the deal a ‘win-win’ for both sides while Trump has emphasised that it ‘a huge victory for America’s farmers, ranchers and growers’. Yet the deal is positioned as an initial agreement in the midst of ongoing negotiations. With an estimated liberalisation rate of 60–70 per cent on a trade value basis, it falls far short of the comprehensive standards expected of bilateral accords under World Trade Organization rules. So why the rush to get a limited deal?
Author: Mari Nukii, Japan Institute of International Affairs
Tensions between Iran and the United States are escalating rapidly. Japan has good relations with all countries at odds with each other in the Middle East, putting it in a favourable position to mediate efforts for avoiding war in the Persian Gulf. Read more…
Author: Yuri Okina, Japan Research Institute
Since April 2019, the Japanese government has started to expand its immigration program to increase the number of blue-collar foreign workers arriving in the country. But much more needs to be done to sustain Japan’s economy.
Author: Editorial Board, ANU
Japan’s post-war transformation saw the country grow into an economic superpower and a key ally of the United States in Asia and the Pacific. Yet a number of features emblematic of that transformation have peaked. Read more…
Author: Sheila A Smith, CFR
A year and a half into the Trump presidency, US foreign policy seems to have settled into a state of persistent flux, with its longstanding diplomatic relations turned on their head. Allies have been dubbed adversaries, and adversaries described as friends. The NATO summit reflected greater tension than the meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Helsinki, despite the National Security Strategy’s cautious tale of a rise in major power rivalry. Read more…
Author: James Curran, Sydney University
US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis revealed much more than Washington’s intense frustration with China’s continued militarisation of the South China Sea in his speech at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue.
On display in Singapore was a considered attempt to remind US allies and others that America’s regional presence has a history. Read more…
Author: Peter Drysdale, ANU
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s first foreign policy excursion of the year to Japan last week should have been the diplomatic slam dunk some reports suggest. No country in the region has a closer alignment of strategic interests with Australia, which built its post-war engagement in Asia on the foundations of the relationship with Japan. Read more…
Author: Editorial Board, East Asia Forum
As the Trump wrecking ball swings at the machinery of US relations in Asia and the Pacific, US allies are quietly contemplating how to best respond to the new reality. The pain of this is particularly acute in Japan. Read more…
Author: Kazuhiko Togo, Kyoto Sangyo University
Mid-2017 is certainly a time to remember for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His cabinet approval rating fell drastically from around 60 per cent in March to below 30 per cent in July. Abe’s fall from grace started with the Moritomo Gakuen scandal in Osaka. Read more…
Author: Jason Buckley, ANU
In September 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed new security legislation permitting Japan to come to the aid of an ally under attack. This was a crucial step in Japan’s journey to becoming a ‘normal’ nation able to do more for its own security. Read more…
Author: Ted Gover, Central Texas College
President Trump’s ‘America First’ doctrine is a vigorous argument to change the United States’ actions at home and abroad while departing from the US post-war order that Trump argues left many US workers behind. This markedly different platform has created uncertainty in regional affairs, giving policymakers in Washington and elsewhere plenty of consternation as they strive to adjust. Read more…
Author: Editors, East Asia Forum
Late last week Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with US President Donald Trump in Washington DC. This was their second meeting after a November stopover which made Abe the first world leader to meet with Trump after his election victory. Read more…
The inauguration of the 45th US President, Donald Trump, is a game-changer and the fallout threatens Asian interests perhaps more than those in any other part of the world.
