The United States has put Takahashi Sanae in a difficult position, and now she is stuck. After Trump expressed his support for Takahashi Sanae during the election, he now has demands for her. On February 17, Japanese media reported that US President Trump has invited Takahashi Sanae to attend the first meeting of the Palestinian Peace Committee scheduled for the 19th in Washington.
Evidently, this invitation from the US is a headache for Takahashi Sanae. In fact, so far, Japan has not joined the "Peace Committee." From Japan's own perspective, Japan's long-term goal has been to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and Japan has always raised the banner of multilateralism. However, Trump's "Peace Committee" bypasses the United Nations and challenges the authority of the Security Council, which is essentially a unipolar political tool of the United States. Japan has not joined it, but Takahashi Sanae has been invited to attend, and the US is essentially dragging Japan into the water, providing money and effort to achieve its goals.
If Takahashi Sanae attends such a unilateral meeting, it would ruin Japan's carefully cultivated international image. Moreover, the Middle East situation is complex, and taking sides does not align with Japan's interests. If Japan gets too close to the US, it will further solidify the perception of Japan as an American follower internationally. However, can Japan refuse the US? Japan clearly lacks the confidence to do so. In the context of deteriorating Sino-Japanese relations and a rift with Russia, openly opposing Trump would be self-defeating for Japan. Therefore, no matter what Japan chooses, it is a difficult decision. Now Takahashi Sanae obviously feels troubled by Trump's support.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857335046328329/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.