Wall Street Journal (April 8)
“Japan knows the Ukraine stakes.” In contrast, U.S. critics, especially Republican members of Congress are wavering on Ukraine aid, suggesting “the war in Europe is a distraction from more serious threats in Asia.” Tokyo realizes “a Russian victory may encourage Chinese imperialism.” Hopefully, during his visit next week, Prime Minister Kishida “can disabuse” Republicans of their errant notion. His government’s foreign policy “reflects the seriousness of the current geopolitical moment. Japan recognizes that the threat to the well-being of free nations is global.”
Tags: Aid, Asia, China, Congress, Critics, Europe, Free nations, Japan, Kishida, Republican, Russia, Stakes, Threats, U.S., Ukraine, War, Wavering, Well-being
Wall Street Journal (December 17)
“History is on speed-dial these days, and the latest seismic shift is Japan’s announcement Friday of a new defense strategy and the spending to implement it.” Credit for this historic change goes to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida “for taking the political risk to educate his country about the growing threats from China and North Korea and how to deter them.”
Tags: China, Defense strategy, Educate, Historic change, History, Japan, Kishida, North Korea, Political risk, Seismic shift, Spending, Threats
Bloomberg (November 6)
“For the US, China is a dangerous but distant challenge. For Japan, China is the existential danger next door.” Today, “the threat of Chinese aggression is producing a quiet revolution in Japanese statecraft — and pushing the nation to get ready for a fight.” Much of Japan’s ramp up is being done in the name of North Korea while Prime Minister Kishida, who was “once considered a dove,” is now successfully implementing policies “without provoking nearly as much blowback as the more polarizing Abe.”
Tags: Aggression, Blowback, Challenge, China, Dangerous, Distant, Dove, Existential danger, Japan, Kishida, North Korea, Polarizing, Quiet revolution, Statecraft, Threat, U.S.
Washington Post (June 8)
“Fumio Kishida, the current Japanese leader, last week launched what he called the “Grand Design” for his “New Form of Capitalism.” It is neither simple or direct. “Watered down, muddled and both confusing and a bit confused, Kishida’s flagship economic policy could learn a lot from the Three Arrows,” which effectively simplified “a complex recipe of monetary, fiscal and supply-side solutions.”
Tags: “Grand Design”, Confusing, Economic policy, Fiscal, Flagship, Japan, Kishida, Monetary, Muddled, Supply side, Three arrows, Watered down
