GOOD MORNING FROM LONDON #215
Biden has invested significant political capital in Japanese Prime Minister Suga in building his Indo-Pacific strategy with the Quad nations to challenge China + its BRI plans. Biden boosted Suga’s standing in Japan by inviting the Japanese Leader to the White House before any other foreign leader. Biden also sent Secretary of State Blinken to Japan for his first overseas trip.
But things are going wrong?
Covid-19 continues to dent Suga’s popularity; the Olympics is in danger of cancellation; + a General Election victory to give status to his role in Japanese politics looks to be delayed as an opposition no-confidence motion gathers support.
The US needs stability in Japan. Japan is the cornerstone of US foreign policy But Biden is getting uncertainty + Japan may yet find that this year’s Summer Olympics is cancelled by the International Olympic Committee because of Japan’s failure to control the virus. And Suga removed by a vote inside his own Liberal Democratic Party. New daily Covid-19 cases topped 7,000 on 8 May for first time in 4 months.
