A stronger alliance between the U.S. and Japan poses significant challenges for China, but it’s important to recognize the internal and external constraints on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s foreign policy. Actively identifying new areas of growth and nurturing the internal momentum of the relationship is essential.

The conduct of the Trump administration seems to show that traditional methods of keeping up appearances of cordial relations are no longer in the playbook, threatening U.S. hegemony by sabotaging its own image.

Whoever emerges as leader in the coming election within the Liberal Democratic Party will decide whether Japan will take a path into the future of constructive regional engagement or one that further entrenches antagonism.

The results of the election in Japan’s House of Councillors highlight a key trend: An era of political fragmentation in Japanese party politics has arrived, and populist political forces are growing.

With U.S. encouragement, Northeast Asia has seen unprecedented cooperation between Japan and South Korea in recent years. But rising economic frictions, domestic political changes in Japan and especially South Korea, and evolving U.S. global priorities could impede or even reverse recent gains.

The tariffs will not spell the end of alliances between the United States and Japan or South Korea, but they are likely to promote a strategic awakening in both countries and accelerate the integration process in East Asia.

The election of Donald Trump to a second term signals that the United States will temporarily step back from the next wave of globalization. As a consequence, Japan’s future security will lie in its deep integration into the processes of globalization and regional integration. This raises an opportunity for improving China-Japan relations.

From Shinzo Abe’s concept of escaping the postwar regime to Shigeru Ishiba’s idea of postwar political settlement, the trajectory of Japan’s political evolution is becoming increasingly apparent. For both China and the United States, responding to a Japan that embraces strategic autonomy poses a significant strategic challenge.

The new Japanese prime minister wants to reassert Japan’s standing as a regional power, which will challenge the expectations of Washington elites and further rattle a region that is seeking to skirt the dynamics of great power competition.

A positive peace is needed, one that weaves prosperity and security together for all. The DPRK’s economic connection to the world via Russia is a potential game changer that could reframe possibilities for the Korean Peninsula, and with it impact the dynamics of the North Asia region. Regional leaders should take up the challenge.