Trump Knocks Back Japan—China’s the Real Player

Trump takes the mic on Fox News, and he doesn’t mince words. The anchor’s pushing the line—Chinese diplomats threaten to “behead” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. They want Trump to pick a side: China or Japan, ally or adversary? 

Feeling the heat, Trump chose to shrug it off instead: “A lot of our allies are not friends either. Our allies took advantage of our trade more than China did.” He reminds the host, casually but firmly, “But look, I get along great with President Xi. I get along great with China. But the only way you're going to get along well with China is you have to deal from a position of strength.”

Let’s call it as it is—Trump doesn’t need to say Japan isn’t a friend. It’s written between the lines. Japan doesn’t stack up against China. With Xi, the U.S. gets the goods: trade, economy, rare earths. Japan? Zilch. Not only no upside, but they set sneaky traps—like asking the U.S. to tumble down Japan’s rabbit hole.

Abe’s Gamble: Taiwan Means Trouble for Japan

Back in 2021, Shinzo Abe dropped the bomb: “If Taiwan’s in trouble, so is Japan. And that pulls in the U.S.-Japan alliance too.” Why? China’s muscle makes reunification inevitable. Abe insists, “If Taiwan faces invasion, Japan itself is on the line. And it’s not just about us—it flips the switch on the U.S. alliance.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry torches Abe’s theory: Japan started the war of aggression against China. Japan has no right to mouth off about Taiwan. Play with fire, and you’ll get burned.

Now Takaichi jumps in, guns blazing: “Japan will exercise its collective self-defense if Taiwan’s attacked.” No retreat, no fuzziness. She insists Japan can send troops to meddle in China’s business. Is Japan really that bold? Not a chance—it’s about dragging America in with them.

Japan’s played this game before. In 2015, Abe pushed through the Peace and Security Laws—the “New Security Laws.” Now Japan can claim limited collective defense. Before, their constitution nailed the SDF to “defensive only.” Attack the homeland? SDF responds. Anything else? Tough luck. 

But the new laws open a loophole: If trouble hits the region—like Korea or Taiwan—but skips Japan itself, can the SDF fight next to the U.S.? That’s the gray zone. Takaichi, bold as brass, jumps the gun, answering for America: “If Taiwan’s in trouble, Japan and the U.S. are in it together.” If it happens, she says, the SDF will “presumably” fight shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. troops.

If America lets Takaichi loose, the blowback could be fierce. Japan is America’s front line in containing China—over 53,000 U.S. troops, 120 bases—number one for overseas U.S. deployments. Theoretically, America can’t ditch Japan. But cross-strait watchers see it clear: Beijing’s military parade on September 3rd proved the PLA can hit the U.S. homeland, no sweat. So Trump lays out the cards: “Both China and America play from a position of strength. The China-U.S. friendship? It lasts forever.”

Reunification is coming—no question. Trump gets it: Whether China and America clash depends on U.S. moves over Taiwan. Trump wants to do business and keep the peace. If he’s smart, he should just spell it out: America backs China’s reunification.

But Japan just won’t sit down—they decide to jump into the fray, hoping to get their shot. Here’s the twist: for China’s reunification, the first move isn’t Taiwan—it’s pulling Japan out of the picture. Japan’s made it clear: “If Taiwan’s in trouble, SDF deploys.” That leaves two doors: First, the U.S. withdraws from both island chains, including its bases in Japan, and the SDF stands alone against China—deal with the fallout yourself. Second, China and America fight, but it won’t be doomsday—just a contest for first place. Hitting each other’s home turf? That’s mutual destruction. So if there’s ever a clash, the ideal battleground is on Japanese soil.

Trump’s weighing his options, but he’s not biting on either outcome. He’s still working his “King of Deals” mantra, angling for a deal with China. As for Japan—well, if you ask for trouble, you get it. Who else goes to hell if not you? Be careful what you wish for.

Deep Blue

** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **

Boys will be boys, I suppose. Diario AS captured the moment that stunned everyone. Marc Cucurella walked off in slides, hauling away the World Cup trophy his teammates had bled for, stuffed inside a see-through plastic bag. What was that about?

Rewind to the trophy ceremony itself. Trump handed the World Cup to Spain's captain Rodri, then simply refused to step aside and let the players have their moment. Online users mocked him for "clinging to the stage." FIFA President Gianni Infantino eventually had to physically steer the US president to the side of the podium. Nothing like it had happened in the World Cup's 96-year history.

Here is a theory, purely speculation. The Spanish players were furious but dared not say so out loud. So back in the locker room, they may have drawn lots to pick someone to speak for the team. Cucurella, whose curly hair sets him apart from Dutch legend Ruud Gullit in his own distinctive way, drew the short straw. He answered with a piece of postmodern performance art, mocking the graceless guest of honor.

For real, both Cucurella and Trump share a certain eccentric streak, so who else would it be when a stunt like that is to be pulled off? Before the final, Cucurella had already promised that if Spain won, he would get head coach Luis de la Fuente's face tattooed on his body.

Calling this a national embarrassment might be a stretch. But the numbers back up at least part of the charge. A survey that has drawn global attention just landed. The Pew Research Center reported last week that in 25 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed, most respondents view China more favorably than the United States, and that group includes Canada and Mexico.

Pew ran the poll between February and May, right as the United States and Israel were at war with Iran. Who tanked America's image? The answer is written on the wall.

A Pew spokesperson said this marks the first time in 20 years that global respondents rated China more favorably than the United States. Views of the two countries had crept close before. A clear tilt toward China, though, is new. The spokesperson noted the shift is unfolding as Covid-19 fades from memory and America's global image keeps sliding.

It all adds up. This has all played out during Trump's presidencies 1.0 and 2.0, a genuine wake-up call.

Listen to what the Pew spokesperson actually said. There is a link between the outbreak of war, the sense that the United States is not contributing to peace and stability, and falling confidence in Trump. On top of that, Trump's push to annex Greenland, the US military's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Washington's handling of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas have all dragged America's approval ratings down further.

America's approval could still fall further. Why? Voters, through an indirect one-person-one-vote system, elected a president with the mental age of a five-year-old. Things were bound to go wrong. You and I both saw this coming, so there is little left to say. For reference, the countries that still hold a favorable view of the United States include Israel in first place, followed mainly by Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines, and Poland. Even in those countries, however, favorable views of the United States have been weakening in recent years.

One postscript. After Spain's victory, reporters asked Cucurella when he would honor his tattoo pledge. His reply: "I'll definitely get it somewhere visible!" Good, very good. The most important thing is not to embarrass yourself. Above all, do not fail on the tattoo and then serve up a TACO, "Trump Always Chickens Out," as a substitute payment.

One more thing. Within less than 24 hours, Cucurella's trophy-in-a-plastic-bag moment had already outshone Messi in online popularity.