27 June 2019
- RSIS
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- Is Donald Trump’s Threat to Quit Japan Defence Pact Just a Negotiating Tactic?
Is Donald Trump’s Threat to Quit Japan Defence Pact Just a Negotiating Tactic?
Security analysts have dismissed suggestions that Donald Trump would pull out of the defence treaty with Japan, saying it was likely to be a negotiating tactic aimed at extorting greater trade concessions from Tokyo.
They also warned that if Japan was freed from the restrictions imposed by the post-World War II alliance, it would build up its military – possibly acquiring nuclear weapons – which would unsettle China and trigger an “unrestricted” arms race in the region.
Collin Koh, a military specialist at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, also expressed doubts that the US would pull out of the alliance, saying such a move risked undermining America’s military presence in the region.
IDSS / Online / Print
Last updated on 28/06/2019
