U.S. to Boost Security, Economic Cooperation with Japan after LDP Win

Washington, Feb. 8 (Jiji Press)–Following the Japanese ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s House of Representatives election, the United States plans to enhance cooperation with the Asian ally in security and economic matters. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to agree with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also president of the LDP, to strengthen their countries’ alliance at their summit slated for March 19 in Washington. U.S. media scrambled to report the results of the election for the all-important lower chamber of Japan’s parliament. “The election was driven by enthusiasm about Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, and her party’s two-thirds supermajority victory appeared to affirm a strong appetite for her ‘Japan First’ approach,” The Washington Post reported. “The result clears the way for Ms. Takaichi to enact a conservative agenda on defense and social issues and to strengthen her position on the global stage,” The New York Times said. A U.S. State Department spokesperson told reporters Sunday that Washington looks forward to continuing to work with Tokyo to advance U.S. security and economic priorities and U.S.-Japan common interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The spokesperson added that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity, and is stronger than ever before. Another U.S. government official stated that the election results will strengthen Takaichi’s political foundation, making it easier to advance talks on Japan’s investment in and loans to the United States. The White House hopes to have deeper discussions than ever before with the Japanese side, the official also said. Agenda items at the upcoming Japan-U.S. summit will likely include responses to China and a hike in Japan’s defense spending. Nicholas Szechenyi, a senior fellow and Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank, suggested that the summit will be a good opportunity for Japan to show once again how important it is as an ally of the United States. He added that the Japanese prime minister should share her economic vision with the United States at a time when the economic power to implement her policies is being tested. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]