A prominent economic adviser to the prime minister says Tokyo should prepare for a ¡°leaderless era¡± as U.S. global leadership gradually withers, and expand other strategic ties while bolstering its security alliance with Washington.
The prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, wasted little time in congratulating U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on last week¡¯s election win over incumbent Donald Trump, despite the latter¡¯s refusal to concede, saying he wanted to strengthen the alliance and ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
But concerns about America¡¯s inward turn have simmered in Japan for years, intensifying in the face of China¡¯s growing military and economic assertiveness and persisting during the Trump presidency despite comparatively warm ties between the outgoing U.S. leader and Suga¡¯s predecessor, Shinzo Abe.
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