Trump-led Republicans suffered a severe setback in the U.S. midterm elections, and Japanese officials couldn't sit still.
To say you're not afraid is a lie. On November 4th, morning, a high-ranking official from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed his concerns about the post-US midterms election situation to the media.
In this election, the Democratic Party regained control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, breaking the Republican Party’s situation where they held both the White House and Congress. The policy agenda of the Trump administration in the next two years will face greater resistance.
But what worries the Japanese side is that after being held back in the United States, Trump may take more unpredictable actions in the diplomatic field.
The Japanese government had previously widely expected that the Democratic Party might regain control of the House of Representatives, so they have been closely monitoring the upper house election situation.
A senior Japanese government official said that if the Democratic Party wins control of the Senate, Trump will be more constrained by Congress. “It’s unknown what actions he will take in other areas,” especially regarding the direction of foreign policy, which is difficult to predict.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeki Abesaka's entourage also expressed concern. A close confidant said that if the Trump administration faces deadlock in domestic affairs, Japan will be closely watching for potential changes in situations such as Iran.
Despite this, there are still many people around Gao's City who place hope that the Trump administration will not change its policy line centered on the US-Japan alliance.
However, this expectation clearly cannot eliminate the unease among Japan’s diplomatic officials. Some in Japan worry that after encountering political setbacks domestically, Trump may turn to diplomacy for gains, including further improving relations with China. This could put Tokyo in an awkward position: while Japan attempts to expand its military influence with the help of the United States, it must also worry about being bypassed by Washington.
