After a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and before Trump’s talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the US president said: “Taiwan is Taiwan.”
The statement came as Takaichi declared a new golden age in US-Japan relations, affirming Tokyo’s central role in Washington’s China and Indo-Pacific strategy. It also serves as a clear indication of Trump’s position on Taiwan.
Trump’s infamous and often last-minute decisionmaking strategy can be a mystery to allies and rivals alike — it often depends on who he last spoke to. Those who have his ear, known as “Trump whisperers,” enjoy something of a direct line of influence in the White House.
The efforts of Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, both of whom are regarded as influential Trump whisperers, have played a part in Trump’s shift to a harder line against Russia.
Thanks to the legacy of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi might be well on her way to becoming Trump’s newest whisperer.
Abe’s name came up several times during the Taikaichi-Trump meeting, and both parties affirmed a commitment to uphold Abe’s vision of deepening the US-Japan alliance and enhancing Japan’s defense capabilities. Trump emphasized that the two countries’ relations are stronger than ever and that the US would lend its full support to Japan wherever it needed it.
Taikaichi took the opportunity to stress the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and reiterate Abe’s call for a free and open Indo-Pacific region — just as she had done during the East Asia Summit last week, framing the issue as core to Japan’s engagement and cooperation with the ASEAN. Her continuation of Abe’s line of countering Chinese dominance is unmistakable.
As Trump and Takaichi reenacted the old Trump-Abe friendship, Japan’s political sphere rejoiced at the return of the US-Japan alliance. For Taiwan and allies in the region, it is a welcome revival of the wider vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The New York Times earlier predicted that Takaichi’s position as Abe’s understudy — the “Abe card” — would be key for her ability to gain Trump’s trust, gauge his position on Taiwan’s defense and understand Washington’s strategic direction in the Indo-Pacific region.
Likewise, a Washington Post editorial said that the outcome of a clash between Trump and Xi over Taiwan could hinge on Trump’s relationship with Takaichi — and that Taiwan would be a critical item on their meeting’s agenda. In hindsight, both assessments proved remarkably insightful.
It seemed that there was nowhere on Trump’s visit to Tokyo that Abe’s shadow did not reach. During Abe’s US visit in 2017, he rode with Trump aboard the presidential Marine One helicopter from the White House to an air base near Washington, before flying together on Air Force One to Florida for golf.
Last week, Takaichi also rode with Trump aboard Marine One to a US naval base near Yokosuka to view the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. Following the suggestion of Abe’s widow, Akie Abe, Taikaichi also presented Trump with one of the former prime minister’s cherished golf clubs as a gift. Despite a packed schedule, Trump also still took the time to meet Akie Abe.
Shinzo Abe’s influence manifested in everything from the exchanging of gifts to meeting arrangements, and ultimately in the outcome of Taikachi’s talks with Trump. With this, she continues in his stead to safeguard Taiwan and the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
Chen Yung-chang is a freelance writer based in Taipei.
Translated by Gilda Knox Streader
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