Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has made clear his intentions to continue along the course of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on foreign and security policies. However, Suga's ability to handle the kind of summit diplomacy Abe excelled at is unknown. Difficult tasks lie ahead, including building a relationship with the U.S. President Donald Trump and managing the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Japan amid escalating confrontations between the U.S. and China.
Suga supported Abe's diplomatic efforts as chief cabinet secretary, but apart from a meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, he has had little experience at the front stage of diplomacy. During a debate for the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election, Suga admitted he cannot be like Abe, who tried to resolve issues by building relationships with world leaders including Trump. "I would like to pursue my own style of diplomacy," he said.
One of the prime minister's touchstones is building a relationship with Trump, who often clashes with incompatible foreign leaders. Challenges include whether Suga can counter Trump's sometimes biased arguments and convince him on issues such as the stationing cost of the U.S. troops in Japan. The negotiations are expected to start in the near future. To lay the groundwork, Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shigeru Kitamura will visit the U.S. from Tuesday to meet with the U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien.
How to face China is also important. LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai, who is known to be pro-China, mentioned in a speech in Tokyo on Thursday that if Xi had visited Japan in April, the two nations would have exchanged a political document on the theme of "co-creation." Nikai showed eagerness to improve ties and said: "I hope the postponed visit can go ahead."
Meanwhile, the U.S. has made clear its confrontational stance toward China on issues such as technological hegemony and the South China Sea. The international community has also grown increasingly concerned about the situation in Hong Kong. Against this backdrop, the prime minister's diplomatic skills will be tested by the way he handles Xi's Japan visit.
Still unresolved are issues Abe weighed heavily -- the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea and the conclusion of a formal peace treaty with Russia including the issue of the northern territories. South Korean ties, which deteriorated over the issue of former wartime requisitioned workers from the Korean Peninsula, cannot be left aside either.
In the area of security, the formation of a new missile deterrence policy that includes possession of the capability to attack enemy bases is urgently needed. The prime minister has instructed Abe's younger brother, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi to come up with a conclusion by the end of the year. However, opposition from LDP's junior coalition partner Komeito, means strong leadership from the prime minister will b required to move things forward.
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