
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba responds to questions at the House of Representatives Budget Committee.
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In the Diet, the Lower House Budget Committee has been holding a basic question-and-answer session with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and all members of his Cabinet.
Some questions concerned the Prime Minister's stance on his upcoming summit meeting with United States President Donald Trump. That meeting has been arranged for Friday, February 7.
At one point, Ishiba said, "I intend to talk about building a new form of alliance that meets the national interests of both countries and lifts the alliance to new heights."
The importance of the Japan-US alliance to peace and stability of the world, including East Asia, is increasing. The Prime Minister needs to align his understanding of the international situation with President Trump. Together they must share a common recognition of the danger posed by China ー a country that continues to intensify its hegemonic behavior. Moreover, they must work together on strategies to deal with it.
Uneducated National Security Questions
The Prime Minister duly took questions from Budget Committee members. However, he did not explain how he would seek common ground on these questions at the upcoming summit. That is, what common perceptions of and strategies for dealing with China would be pursued.
Unfortunately, there was no in-depth questioning regarding a possible Taiwan contingency that would inevitably also become a Japan emergency. There was also a need for discussion of the importance of fundamentally strengthening defense capabilities and improving deterrence. Finally, it would have been appropriate to highlight the usefulness of multilateral framework, such as the Japan-US-Australia, Japan-US-Philippines, and Japan-US-South Korea cooperative relationships.
Diet member Katsuya Okada's view of the United States was especially surprising. An opposition party member, he was foreign minister in 2009 during the Democratic Party of Japan administration.
Prime Minister Ishiba had just said: "A free and open Pacific means that changing the status quo by force will not be permitted. This is a shared goal of Japan and the United States. I do not believe there will be any discrepancy between us in that regard."
Okada then responded with the following statements: "I think 'changing the status quo through force' is a concept that has China in mind. But the problem is that it applies not only to China but also to the United States."
He added, "Isn't using tariffs to threaten others also an attempt to change the status quo by force?"
Such a superficial perception calls Okada's diplomatic sense into question. It is inexplicable to equate the actions of the United States with those of China, a communist dictatorship. Naturally, Ishiba should have replied, "I am not aware of any attempt by the United States to change the status quo in this region by force.
Russian Aggression, Too

There was also insufficient discussion about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia and North Korea have signed a "Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," and North Korea has even sent troops to fight in Ukraine. This should cause alarm among Diet members. After all, in the event of a Korean Peninsula contingency, there is also a risk of escalation into a Japan emergency if Russia enters the conflict.
Neither the Prime Minister nor the Diet displays sufficient crisis awareness about the current security environment surrounding Japan.
The ruling and opposition parties are busy battling over revisions to the Fiscal Year 2025 draft budget. But we must not neglect the debate about national security. After all, it is the security of the nation itself which is the foundation of Japan's independence and prosperity.
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Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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