Japan remains tight-lipped, and US media are greatly surprised, not expecting Japan to be so tough now! According to a Bloomberg report on April 25, while the US and Japan are still in negotiations, Japanese officials have shown their attitude to the United States. Japanese officials said that due to the importance of trade relations between Japan and China, Japan refuses to include itself in any efforts by the United States against China. The United States is preparing to require countries seeking tariff reductions to reduce their economic ties with China, but this will not be an option for Japan.

Japanese officials stated that if such a situation arises, Tokyo will prioritize its own interests. After Japanese officials made this statement, US media felt very surprised. Because under the pressure from the United States requiring all countries to take sides and put pressure on us, Japan directly showed a refusal. Experts have pointed out that the two demands made by the United States to Japan leave Japan with no room to retreat.

One is that the US imposes a 25% tariff on Japan's automobile industry, which greatly affects Japan's car exports and has a significant impact on the Japanese economy. The other is that the US requires Japan to further open up its agricultural market, which will impact Japanese agricultural practitioners and affect the basic support rate of the Liberal Democratic Party. Now the US also requires Japan to cooperate in isolating China; if Japan does so, it will incur huge, even unaffordable, costs for its economy.

Therefore, Japan has no room to give way. Relevant experts indicated that if Japanese officials cannot get the US to cancel or significantly lower the tax on Japanese cars and reach a better outcome, the Ishiba government will face enormous political consequences. US media were surprised by Japan's tough stance, but the fact is that this is because the conditions the US offered were extremely harsh, forcing Japan to push back against the US.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830333377649674/

Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's personal views.