US-Japan Alliance Digest Vol 3.21

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Details:

• Donald Trump won back the presidency on Nov 5 and Republicans will control the legislative agenda in the Senate and House after a surprisingly solid win over the Democratic Party. Trump has promised tax cuts, deportations of undocumented immigrants, balancing trade on the back of high tariffs, and ending the Russia-Ukraine war, among other initiatives. US and Japan policy makers have signaled continuity in the alliance, although tariffs and economic security policy could cause friction, followed later by renegotiation of their Special Measures (Host Nation Support) Agreement that expires March 2027. Early Trump Cabinet picks include Susie Wiles for Chief of Staff, Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, Pete Hegseth for Defense, Mike Waltz for Nat’l Security Advisor, among others. Prime Minister Ishiba plans to meet personally with Trump at an early date, after meeting Biden on the APEC sidelines around Nov 15.
• The second annual Japan-US High Level Dialogue on Education took place on Oct 28. Officials announced the launch of the Mineta Ambassadors Program that provides grants to facilitators of student exchange between the two countries. Originally announced at the April Biden-Kishida summit, the program invests in the next generation of leaders in the bilateral relationship. Separately, students in Okinawa completed their Student Education Exchange Dialogue at Camp Lester from Oct 26-27. A DOD-MOFA program, it allows students on base and off to learn about each other’s language and culture. One student said, “you begin to see that we’re all kids and…not all that different.”
• Japan and Poland joined eight other allied nations in the US military’s Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite network. The Boeing satellites operated by the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command, allow for high-capacity communication to support military operations, relieving US personnel of information sharing responsibilities. The strategic expansion of access offered to allies in Europe, Asia, and Oceania shows the growing reliance on the space domain in conflicts and concerns about regional aggressors. Lt. Col. Yeung of Space Systems Command said, “Alliances are vital as the US and its allies face new threats from anti-satellite technologies being developed by Russia and China.”
• Foreign Minister Iwaya said MOFA would “quietly examine and explore” revising the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that governs the stationing of US troops in Japan. The proposed revisions, according to Iwaya, are intended to give Tokyo more of a voice in the alliance while also being “acceptable to the Japanese people, and acceptable to the US side.” However, PM Ishiba may not proceed with such SOFA revisions for concerns that incoming president Trump could push back with requests he previously made to have Tokyo pay more for hosting US forces in the country.
• The US, Japan, and South Korea conducted an aerial drill featuring a US B1B strategic bomber on Nov 3 in response to North Korea’s launching of a new ICBM. Separately, the allies also executed the second multi-domain trilateral Freedom Edge exercise from Nov 13-15 in the East China Sea following through on agreements made at Camp David. The three countries’ leaders also planned a wide-ranging trilateral meeting for Nov 15 on the sidelines of APEC in Peru.

“US-Japan Alliance Digest” is a bi-weekly summary of bilateral and related developments compiled by Sasakawa USA’s “US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative.” To receive “Alliance Digest” via email, contact egulum@spfusa.org.