At the End of an Administration, Important to Remain Committed to US-Japan Unity

America is no longer the world’s policeman. That being said, its position as a major player in international politics remains unchanged. However, I feel that with the upcoming presidential election in November, the Obama administration’s leadership power is weakening.

This is the time for the Abe administration to pay careful attention, so U.S.-Japan relations do not unravel and affect the state of affairs in Asia.

This week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acted diplomatically in New York at the United Nations General Assembly. In addition to meeting with the leaders of Ukraine and Pakistan, Abe also gave a speech at the General Assembly, calling for strict sanctions against North Korea.

However, Abe’s visit to New York casts light on difficult issues that Japan – and all of Asia – currently face. As America undergoes a change in administration, how will these smoldering crises be contained?

If America’s power weakens, the risk of crises accelerating will increase. Recently, North Korea performed its fifth nuclear bomb test. Perhaps North Korea has not ceased testing because it has seen America’s weakness.

It’s because of times like this that we become aware of how Abe should have met with Obama to deepen U.S.-Japan relations. While Abe did hold conferences with Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, his talks with Obama were limited to informal standing conversations.

In contrast, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang – who was also visiting New York at the time – met with Obama to discuss the issue of North Korea, among other topics.

Even during the international conferences in China and Laos, during the first half of September, there were no summit meetings between Japan and America. A “power void” forms whenever America undergoes a change in administration, so, to defend Japan against the dangers facing Asia, Abe has a responsibility to properly manage Japan’s alliance with America.

Against this backdrop, it’s a good thing that Japan, America and South Korea’s leaders met this week and unanimously called for the strengthening of sanctions against North Korea. Even so, the bond between these three leaders is indispensable if strong sanctions are to be implemented against China, a supporter of North Korea.

The topic of Putin’s upcoming visit to Japan in December was brought up during Abe and Biden’s talks. America, which pointedly opposed Russia on the matter of Ukraine, harbors some suspicion of the Abe administration’s growing closeness to Russia.

Should a rift form between America and Japan, the net encircling North Korea will loosen, facilitating aggressive behavior from China in the South China Sea. And in preparation for Putin’s visit, I hope Japan will closely communicate with America.