South Korean-Japanese Rapprochement Signals Washington’s Increasing Leverage Amidst Trump Trade Shakeup
As South Korea’s new president meets Japan’s premier before a summit with President Trump, Washington’s trade-driven diplomacy forces once-hostile neighbors to cooperate—yet this fragile alliance raises questions about America’s long-term strategic foothold in Asia.
President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea is set to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo next week, just days before heading to Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump. This sequence of high-stakes meetings underscores how the Trump administration’s aggressive trade and defense posture is reshaping the delicate balance among key U.S. allies in East Asia. Trade Deals Serve Washington’s Strategic Play—but At What Cost? The negotiated trade agreements between Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo that reduced reciprocal tariffs from 25% to 15% may appear as diplomatic wins on the surface. However, these concessions come after both...
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