[Source/Observer Network by Shao Yun] As Japan and the United States are about to hold their second round of tariff negotiations, Bloomberg reported on April 24 that according to current and former Japanese government officials, given the importance of trade relations between Japan and China, Japan plans to resist any plan that the U.S. attempts to pull it into an economic alliance against China.
Like many trading partners threatened by the Trump administration with so-called "reciprocal tariffs," Japan is pushing for negotiations with the goal of finalizing agreements within the 90-day deferral period set by the U.S. side. It was reported that Japanese officials said Japan hopes to finalize the agreement around the G7 summit in June.
However, at the same time, the report said that Japanese officials also stated that Japan does not want to be pulled into a trade bloc against China. Although the U.S. has not yet made any specific requests regarding China to Japan, if such a situation arises, Tokyo will prioritize its own interests. One official also said that Japan has repeatedly told China that its stance on chip-related exports and semiconductor restrictions does not fully align with that of the U.S.
Japan exports large numbers of cars to the U.S. and a large amount of chip-making equipment to China. The U.S.-initiated trade war against China has left Japan caught between these two largest global economies.
Bloomberg pointed out that in terms of total trade volume, China is Japan's largest trading partner, accounting for 20% of Japan's total foreign trade. Moreover, China is also Japan's most important supplier of goods and raw materials. However, in terms of exports, the U.S. has been Japan's largest export market for two consecutive years.
The Ministry of Finance of Japan announced on January 2024 that the country's total exports in 2024 were 107.9 trillion yen, including 21.3 trillion yen to the U.S., an increase of 5.1%, and 18.9 trillion yen to China, an increase of 6.2%. Imports totaled 112.4 trillion yen, an increase of 1.8%, including 12.7 trillion yen from the U.S., an increase of 9.5%, and 25.3 trillion yen from China, an increase of 3.6%.
On April 17, local time, Tokyo, Japan, Prime Minister Shinichi Abe gave a speech to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office regarding the situation of the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations. Visual China
On the 16th of this month, Japan was selected by the Trump administration to participate in the first face-to-face tariff negotiation. Although the U.S. side immediately claimed through social media after the meeting that significant progress had been made, some commentators pointed out that apart from agreeing to meet again, there was little progress.
Before the first round of Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, Treasury Secretary Beston, who is responsible for trade negotiations with Japan and other countries, said that the U.S. would seek agreements with allies, "so that we can engage with China as a group." Bloomberg subsequently disclosed that the Trump administration was preparing to pressure countries seeking exemptions in the tariff negotiations to limit trade with China to enhance the U.S.'s leverage in trade negotiations with China.
In response, Bloomberg analyzed on the 24th that although Japan also relies heavily on the U.S. as its only formal security ally, if Washington demands that Japan reduce its trade relations with China, it could cause significant economic damage to Japan.
"If Japan sees a decline in trade with both major markets, the U.S. and China, it would be very, very bad," said Professor Naruharu Uchiyama of the University of Tokyo. "If policymakers say they want to abandon China, the business community would strongly oppose it." Shoichi Kono, a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and former Foreign Minister, emphasized on the 23rd that "we must be very careful on issues related to China's economic security and supply chains."
The report mentioned that instead of reducing trade, Japan has recently been working hard to promote the resumption of Chinese imports of Japanese seafood and beef. Currently, multiple delegations have been sent or are planned to be sent to China to maintain bilateral relations.
Tetsuo Saito, leader of Japan's ruling coalition key member - the Komeito Party, carried a personal letter from Prime Minister Shinichi Abe to visit China. According to NHK reports on the 23rd, as a response to the U.S. tariff measures, both sides emphasized the importance of free trade during their dialogue.
Starting May 30th, Japan's Minister of Economic Revitalization Akira Akae will visit the U.S. for the second round of tariff negotiations. A source informed Kyodo News on the 24th that during the first round of negotiations, although Japan requested exemptions for tariffs on automobiles and other products, the U.S. side indicated that it would not exempt or specially treat Japan alone. In the second round of negotiations, Japan aims to "roughly finalize" the priorities of both countries and continue to seek tariff exemptions for Japan.
Other than Japan, previous allies have also refused to be lured by the U.S. In response to the Trump administration's use of tariff measures to coerce other countries into restricting economic and trade cooperation with China, the EU responded on the 22nd, stating that the EU-US tariff negotiations are unrelated to EU-China relations. Despite recent developments, the EU's policy toward China will "remain unchanged," and the EU will not decouple from China.
When asked whether the China issue is "not under consideration" in EU-US negotiations, European Commission Deputy Spokesperson Ariana Podestà replied that for the EU, the only red line is the "security and well-being" of EU citizens, while "the rest remains to be discussed."
It is worth noting that despite Trump's recent frequent claims that many countries are lining up to negotiate with the U.S. and rumors that "deals with Japan and India are imminent," sources familiar with White House negotiations informed US media that so far, the U.S. negotiating teams with Japan and India have only reached a general "framework" of the agreement. Due to the delicate details, it is expected that "finalizing the agreement may take several months."
Some argue that this shows how, after launching an "indiscriminate" tariff attack on the world but facing strong countermeasures from China, the U.S. is eager to produce negotiation results. The U.S. side is attempting to portray Japan as a "demonstration model" to attract other countries to voluntarily join the tariff negotiation table. On the other hand, Japan has expressed its intention to cautiously advance the negotiations and should not rush them.
Previously, on the 14th, Shinichi Abe attended the House Budget Committee meeting and stated that Japan is "not prepared to make major concessions" in the upcoming tariff negotiations with the U.S. and "will not rush to reach an agreement." He also believes that "constantly compromising and quickly concluding agreements is not necessarily a good approach." He further emphasized avoiding hasty decisions, saying "rushing often leads to failure."
Regarding Trump's mention of Japan shouldering more costs for the U.S. military stationed in Japan during the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, Shinichi Abe responded on the 21st, stating that Japan will not link security negotiations with tariff negotiations. He also indicated that Japan does not intend to "obey orders" and bear a larger share of the costs for the U.S. military stationed in Japan as required by the U.S., which was considered one of the strongest statements by Shinichi Abe since Trump threatened to impose "reciprocal tariffs."
China previously stated that it respects all parties' efforts to resolve their trade disputes with the U.S. through equal consultations, but China firmly opposes any side sacrificing its own interests to reach a deal. The Commerce Ministry spokesperson stated on the 21st that if such a situation occurs, China will not accept it and will firmly retaliate proportionally. China is determined and capable of safeguarding its own interests.
"Appeasement cannot bring peace, and compromise does not earn respect. Sacrificing others' interests for temporary private gains is like trying to skin a tiger; ultimately, it benefits no one," the spokesperson said.
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