Japanese government officials are becoming increasingly wary of the impact on Tokyo's diplomatic and security policies of the "America First" policy, which President Donald Trump mentioned in his inauguration speech.
President Trump stopped short of showing the full picture of his diplomatic and security policies in his inauguration address while saying that his government will urge U.S. allies to bear a greater burden, and how Washington will be involved in the situation of the Asia-Pacific region under the Trump administration remains uncertain.
In his speech, Trump said, "For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military."
Since Trump touched on his belief during his election campaign that U.S. allies should pay more of the cost of U.S forces stationed in their territories, the new administration is expected to demand Tokyo extend further financial contributions to the U.S. military.
Japan currently shoulders over 70 percent of the cost of U.S. forces stationed in Japan, far larger than that paid by Germany and South Korea, which stand at about 30 to 40 percent each. Therefore, Japan takes the position that it does not need to pay any more of such costs.
However, there is a possibility that the new U.S. administration will demand that the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has underscored the importance of the bilateral alliance, expand the role of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in international security.
"We must pay close attention to specifically what the United States will demand from Japan," said a high-ranking official of the Defense Ministry.
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