【Text/Observer Net, Qi Qian】From July 3 to 4, the 13th World Peace Forum was held in Beijing. On the 3rd, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama delivered a speech at the forum, stating that even after US President Trump's term ends, the US will continue its policies. He emphasized, "The US has changed, and we also need to change," and called on Japan to enhance its autonomy and strengthen cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea.

According to reports by Russian Sputnik News and other media, Hatoyama pointed out during the opening ceremony of the forum that Trump's policies have caused concerns among many countries in the Asia-Pacific region. However, he believed that the phenomenon of Trump is not something that can be "waited out".

"Common sense tells us that Trump's term has another three and a half years left, which is nothing to get excited about," said Hatoyama, "However, the real issue is that even if a Democrat is elected as the 48th president in November 2028, the 'Trump-style' of the US will not disappear. This style will continue even after he leaves office."

Hatoyama believes that although former US President Biden's rhetoric differs from Trump's, his policies also contain a considerable portion of the Trump-style approach, namely "America First" and "Make America Great Again." He speculated that future US presidential candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, are likely to take actions similar to Trump's, "otherwise they will not be able to win the election, this is the reality of today's American politics."

Hatoyama said that the slogan "Make America Great Again" actually acknowledges that the US has lost its former power.

He pointed out that over the past few decades, the share of the US in the global economy has significantly declined, and domestic social and economic problems have accumulated, with increasing inequality. "The US can no longer continue to play the role of a leader in world order as it did for the past 80 years since the end of World War II. It is not surprising that many Americans place their hopes on an eccentric leader who claims that the US is being exploited by the international community."

"The US has changed, and the world also needs to change," Hatoyama also said. As the US increasingly pursues the "America First" policy and follows the "Make America Great Again" path, Japan needs to enhance its autonomy and reduce its dependence on the US. He also pointed out that, given Japan's national strength, trying to break away from US dependence unilaterally would face numerous difficulties. Therefore, strengthening cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea becomes particularly important.

Last year, Hatoyama participated in the 12th World Peace Forum.

According to a report by Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, on the same day, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Heng Swee Keat attended the 9th ASEAN Forum and warned that the US tariff policy may continue beyond Trump's term, and companies should prepare themselves and actively adapt to the trend of rising global trade protectionism.

"Using tariffs to achieve so-called 'fair trade' and using 'nearshoring' or 'friendshoring' strategies to attract key industries back home has become a bipartisan consensus in the US," said Heng, adding that companies need to be mentally prepared, as increased tariffs may become a long-term situation, and the cost of exporting to the US will continue to rise in the coming period, "we cannot expect that four years later, when the US government changes, the tariffs will disappear."

He specifically emphasized that companies must be prepared for the US to more strictly review their production supply chains.

Heng Swee Keat delivering a speech, Lianhe Zaobao

US media Bloomberg reported that Hatoyama and Heng's statements come at a time when the deadline for Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" is approaching on July 9.

On April 2, Trump initiated a tariff war with almost all of the US's trading partners, imposing a 24% tariff on Japan, including a 10% "minimum base tariff" and a 14% "reciprocal tariff." In addition, Japan faces a 25% tariff on cars and auto parts, and a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum.

Soon after, Trump announced a 90-day suspension of tariff collection, reducing the tariff on Japan to 10%, but this "ceasefire period" is about to expire on July 9. According to a US government announcement in April, if Japan does not receive an extension, its exported goods will face a total tariff of 24% again.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed disappointment with the US's plan to impose a 10% tariff on Singapore's exports, stating directly, "This is not how you treat a friend."

On July 1, local time, Trump once again escalated his trade pressure on Japan, openly questioning whether a deal could be reached with Japan before July 9 and threatening to raise the tariff on Japan to 30% or 35% if the negotiations fail. Previously, Trump had also complained on social media that Japan was facing a rice shortage but was unwilling to import US rice.

Japan's chief negotiator and Minister of Economic Revitalization Akira Akazawa responded on July 1, stating that the Japanese government's position has not changed and it will not negotiate tariffs at the expense of agriculture. He said Japan will continue to negotiate with the US to protect Japan's national interests.

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