The U.S. Needs Japan More Than Ever

Mar 8, 2026Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, News

In his first term, Trump cultivated a close relationship with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, assassinated in 2022. The two leaders shared not just a love of golf, but a clear-eyed view of China as the main threat to regional stability.

China’s rise inspired Abe’s vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy, with Japan pledging itself to work with like-minded regional partners to uphold freedom of navigation, territorial and maritime sovereignty, and quality infrastructure.

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