I spoke with Morgan Chalfant of Semafor for a story that looked at how domestic politics in both the US and Japan are casting a shadow over Kishida’s state visit to the US.
In Japan, officials are wondering what a return of Donald Trump to the White House might mean for the trajectory of the two countries’ longstanding alliance. Meanwhile, Kishida’s own days could be numbered, as he tries to manage the fallout of a fundraising scandal and economic slowdown ahead of his party’s leadership contest in September. There’s already speculation he could face a snap election before then.
“There’s really just a lot of uncertainty,” said Tobias Harris, a Japan expert who runs the political risk firm, Japan Foresight.
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The circumstances of Wednesday’s meeting would seem to put added pressure on Kishida, who will also speak to a joint session of Congress on Thursday. The Japanese prime minister will be looking to telegraph Japan’s commitment to security to multiple audiences while also hoping for a domestic political boost out of the visit to the U.S. “His situation at home is just so difficult that I’m guessing this isn’t going to move the needle very much,” Harris told me.
The article can be read here.
Japan Foresight 