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Following the President Donald Trump-Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meeting in Washington, D.C., Margarita Estévez-Abe,  associate professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, weighed in on what the meeting revealed about American influence in East Asia, Japan’s strategic vulnerabilities and the evolving landscape of U.S. alliances in the region.

If you’d like to schedule an interview with her, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Professor Estévez-Abe writes: “At the first sight, the Takaichi-Trump summit in D.C. appears to be a big win for the Trump Administration. The new agreements between the two countries involve big tangible economic benefits for the U.S. However, I see this meeting as an important chapter in the tale of the end of the American hegemony in East Asia. The meeting sends a clear message to U.S. allies that they should reduce their dependence on the U.S.

“The meeting laid bare two things: Japan’s humiliating dependence on the U.S. and the hefty protection money the U.S. demands. Last year, Japan was forced to pledge investments in the U.S. for the whopping amount of $550 billion—an amount the Japanese government and corporations can hardly spare. The Trump Administration has a big say on where the money goes. Whether specific investment deals benefit Japan or not is of no concern to the U.S. Japan provides a lesson to other U.S. allies: Don’t depend too much on the U.S. or you become a vassal. South Korea is clearly getting this message.

“Part of Japan’s dependence on Trump is Takaichi’s own making. Her comments in November 2025 about a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan as a ‘survival threatening situation’ for Japan —hence justifying Japan’s military intervention—marked a shift from the carefully crafted status quo. She probably wanted to signal to Trump that she was willing to confront China alongside the U.S. Not surprisingly, China responded with harsh retaliatory economic actions. China is as big a trading partner as the U.S. is to Japan. Takaichi’s failure to resolve the problem of her own creation leaves Japan without any serious option to hedge against an erratic White House. While all other American allies seek to hedge against the U.S. by forming closer ties with China, Japan cannot.

“Japan’s exclusive reliance on the U.S. weakens Japan’s economic and political standing. Loyalty to the U.S. comes with a big sacrifice. The U.S. ultimately has a lot to lose by weakening its most loyal Asian ally. South Korea is pivoting away from the U.S.”