As the United States retreats, Japan is assuming the mantle of leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.
With President Trump’s pivot away from Asia and disengagement from Asia-Pacific regionalism in trade, it is not only China but also Japan that is moving quickly to fill the vacuum in regional leadership. The combination of uncertainty over America’s policy commitments and China’s regional ambitions has generated a strong incentive for Japan’s Prime Minister Abe to launch an economic, diplomatic and strategic offensive of his own in order to exercise more influence over the regional order.
