A Talk on “The Foundation of U.S.-Japan Relations in a Time of Global Uncertainty” by CG Yanagi
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joseph Biden at a summit meeting on April 10, 2024. (Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office and Source: Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)
Consul General Jun Yanagi talks about “The Foundation of U.S.-Japan Relations in a Time of Global Uncertainty” after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s official visit to the U.S.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had an official visit to the U.S. from April 8 to 14, and Consul General Jun Yanagi in Chicago, spoke on the significance and results of his visit on April 23. The event was organized by the Japan America Society of Chicago and was held at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.
This was the first official visit by the Japanese Prime Minister since the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit in 2015. PM Kishida had a summit meeting with President Joe Biden, was invited to a state dinner by President Biden, and spoke in a joint session of the U.S. Congress. His schedules included a luncheon with U.S. business leaders, meetings with the next generation for U.S.-Japan friendship, Japanese students studying in the U.S., students of Japanese language learners, and more.
1. Takeaways
- At the summit, Prime Minister Kishida and President Biden reiterated that based on deep trust and multi-layered friendship, the U.S. and Japan have become truly global partners in upholding and bolstering the free and open international order based on the rule of law, as well as in leading global economic growth.
- The top leaders also reiterated that the U.S. and Japan need to lead sustainable and inclusive global economic growth as indispensable partners for one another by maintaining competitiveness in advanced technologies and overcoming the vulnerabilities of supply chains. In this vein, the two leaders outlined the future course of cooperation on the next generation of emerging technologies such as including AI, outer space, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology, clean energy, and 5G.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with the U.S. Congressional House and Senate Leadership on April 11, 2024. From Left: Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Mitch McConnell, PM Fumio Kishida, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, and Speaker Mike Johnson
- In his speech to the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress, PM Kishida pointed out that the international order, which the U.S. has long nurtured, has been facing new challenges. Freedom and democracy have been currently under threat around the world, and then, PM Kishida stressed that the world looks to the U.S. leadership. He also stated that the U.S. leadership was indispensable, and the U.S. was not alone because Japan was with the U.S., side by side, shoulder to shoulder with the U.S.
2. Background of the Visit and the Summit Meeting
PM Kishida's perceptions as expressed during his address to the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress were:
- The international order, which, the U.S. has worked for generations to build, is facing new challenges from countries with values and principles very different from Japan and the U.S., and freedom and democracy are under threat around the world.
- Climate change has caused natural disasters, poverty, and displacement on a global scale.
- Rapid advances in AI technology have resulted in a battle over the soul of AI that is ranging between its promise and its perils.
- The balance of economic power is shifting with the Global South strengthening its presence.
Based on this recognition by PM Kishida, CG Yanagi said, "We are facing geopolitical challenges, including Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and tensions in the security environment in East Asia. This is shaking the very foundations of the international order, and if Russia's unilateral use of force is allowed to change the status quo, as PM Kishida says, Ukraine of today may be East Asia of tomorrow," he said, and continued as follows:
To this end, Japan marshaled the support of allies as G7 presidency throughout 2023. Japan has taken strong sanctions against Russia in the wake of its aggression against Ukraine. Japan has announced over $12 billion in aid to Ukraine, hosted the conference for Ukraine's economic growth and reconstruction to help a devastated Ukraine get through these agonizing times, and will continue to stand with Ukraine.
The U.S.-Japan joint statement, "Global Partners for the Future," issued after the Summit was:
1. To continue to stand firmly against Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.
2. To continue to impose severe sanctions on Russia.
3. To continue to provide unwavering support for Ukraine.
4. To continue to call on Russia to implement immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal from the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.
5. Any threat or use of nuclear weapons by Russia in the context of its aggression against Ukraine is unacceptable.
In another phase, the most significant challenge that the U.S.-Japan alliance has been facing is the one posed by China which is a military superpower and second-largest economy in the world.
While Japan cannot overlook China's certain behaviors, including attempts to unilaterally change the status quo through force, Japan has been trying to engage China in dialogue, not seek confrontation. Instead, Japan seeks stability in relations and constructive engagement on common interests such as combating climate change.
The U.S. and Japan are also intensifying cooperation in the area of economic security. These include economic resilience, supply chains, critical infrastructure, and competitiveness in cutting-edge areas. The goal of the U.S.-Japan relationship is not to decouple from China, but to de-risk vital U.S.-Japan economic interests to preserve the relationship with China. Given the interdependence in the global economy, total decoupling is not practical.
In the face of these geopolitical challenges, Japan will strengthen its national security architecture and double its defense budget to 2% of GDP by 2027.
In addition, Japan, which held the G7 presidency until 2023, has intensified its diplomatic engagement to build a broader network with global partners, including the Quad, the Trilateral Partnership among U.S.-Japan-ROK, and the Global South countries, and has met the high expectations of the U.S. as a close ally.
In the face of economic uncertainty, the U.S. and Japan are taking the lead in upholding a rules-based economic order. This is put into practice through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and bilateral policy consultative committees at the ministerial level. The latter is also designed to enhance economic resilience and protect critical and emerging technologies.
3. People-to People Ties between US-Japan
CG Yanagi, who has been visiting 10 states under his jurisdiction, said, " Beneath this robust alliance and global partnerships between the US and Japan lies the strong bond of mutual trust and deep friendship that unites our two people. This bond has been nurtured by a vibrant network of people-to-people interactions and business partnerships over decades.” He was also heartened by the strong bipartisan support for the U.S.-Japan alliance.
According to CG Yanagi, more than 35,000 Japanese nationals live in harmony with the local communities in the 10 states, and 72 sister-state and sister-city relationships have been established.
The U.S.-Japan Joint Statement stipulates that "people-to-people exchanges are the most effective way to develop the future stewards of the U.S.-Japan relationship," and in this regard, the two leaders recognized the achievements of U.S.-Japan exchange programs and the important role that the civil society, including the 38 Japan America Society across the U.S., has played in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations.
The leaders also reaffirmed their confidence in the rule of CULCON (Japan-United States Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange) in enhancing people-to-people ties, and the importance of promoting educational exchange, engaging the next generation of leaders, and increasing exchange opportunities for Japanese language specialists in the U.S.
During his official visit, PM Kishida’s itinerary includes:
- Dialogue with the next generation for Japan-U.S. friendship
- Talks with Japanese students studying in the U.S.
- Talks with Japanese language learners
CG Yanagi reiterated that "These multiple layers of people-to-people connections are the foundation of our strong alliance and global partnership.”
4. Business Partnership
Japan has confidence in the U.S. economy, and Japan has been the number one foreign direct investor in the U.S. for four consecutive years. Japanese companies have invested approximately $800 billion and created nearly one million American jobs. And half of those jobs are in manufacturing.
The Midwest in particular is the center of the U.S.-Japan economic partnership, with more than 1,500 Japanese business facilities providing over 150,000 jobs in the region. In Illinois alone, 650 Japanese business facilities provide 44,000 jobs.
In addition to creating jobs, these Japanese companies are good corporate citizens, coexist and prosper in the communities, and are welcomed by local governments and residents.
Business partnership was also a pillar of PM Kishida's official visit, and he attended a luncheon with U.S. business leaders.
PM Kishida then pointed out the importance of the U.S. and Japan working together to enhance the resilience of the U.S.-Japan economy and to drive global economic growth in critical and emerging technology sectors such as semiconductors, AI, quantum, and clean energy. At the end of the luncheon, PM Kishida had a renewed sense of the deepening U.S.-Japan business relations and cooperation in those areas through increasing two-way investment in those areas.
CG Yanagi said, "An increasing economic investment and partnerships lead to increasing people-to-people contacts, while an increasing exchange of people and cultural activities create an environment and accelerate the flow of trade and invite further new economic investment. Business economic activities on the one hand, and cultural as well as people-to-people ties on the other hand are two wheels of the same car."
5. Japan’s Place in the U.S.
CG Yanagi, who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988 at the height of the Japan-U.S. trade friction and Japan-bashing, said, "Unlike Japan in the 1980s, today’s Japan is a rather mature society, and mature economy without double-digit economic growth or bubble economy. Indeed, many Japanese contents such as anime, manga, sushi, sake, and sports stars are widely accepted here in the U.S.," he said, citing as examples Japanese cars made in the U.S. and Japanese baseball players who are loved by U.S. citizens. His words narrated Japan’s place in the U.S.
6. Japan’s Economy
Within Japan, a series of initiatives known as "new capitalism" is being embarked upon to drive the Japanese economy. The public and private sectors are joining hands to transform the socioeconomic challenges facing the Japanese people such as climate change, energy, and declining birthrates into engines for economic growth. To advance cutting-edge sectors such as green technology, clean energy, AI, semiconductors, and biotechnology, Japan has been intensifying public-private investment, including attracting overseas investors.
Japan has reached an exit from 30 years of economic stagnation and deflation and is making strides to take advantage of unprecedented high levels and major changes, with wage growth, capital investment, and stock prices, all reaching levels not seen in the past 30 years.
A growth-oriented Japanese economy can also attract greater U.S. investment, and the U.S. and Japan can together help propel the global economy onto a strong growth trajectory in years to come.
“Japan's strong economy makes it an attractive investment destination for the U.S., and Japan's competitive edge in cutting-edge technology offers new opportunities for U.S.-Japan collaboration. I wish to stress to you that Japanese companies are reliable business partners of your most trusted allies," said CG Yanagi.
Consul General Jun Yanagi
7. Conclusion
In closing, CG Jun Yanagi expressed optimism for the future of the U.S.-Japan global partnership, which shares the fundamental values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and said, "It is because our global partnership has been built from the ground up, supported by multiple layers of human connections and a wide range of groups in the society of both nations.”
In the end, he concluded his speech by saying, “Any bilateral relationship ultimately hinges on human connections. The Japan-U.S. relationship is no exception.”