Japan's 'Embrace America, Abandon China' Strategy: How Takaichi Sanae is Reshaping Sino-Japanese Dynamics

Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has been in office for less than a month, yet she has already held meetings with both US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Her approach to these separate engagements reveals a critical strategic reality: as US-China relations continue to deteriorate, Japan's comprehensive pivot toward America appears not merely advantageous but inevitable. Beyond the shared commitment both Takaichi and Trump hold regarding the protection of their nations' core values, a more compelling calculation drives this realignment. Takaichi understands that in a quasi-Cold War environment between Washington and Beijing, closer alignment with America positions Japanese enterprises to capture substantially greater market share among Western clients. 

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Andrew Wong

Returned to Hong Kong from Canada in 2001, with 23 years in finance — once founded and fully owned a boutique investment bank. In 2024, finally passed his own “Article 23,” stepping into semi-retirement!