U.S. welcomes Japan election results

July 22, 2019

Washington--The U.S. government welcomed the results of Sunday's House of Councillors election in Japan, in which the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling bloc maintained an Upper House majority.

"The alliance between our two countries has broad support across the political spectrum in both Japan and the United States," a Department of State official said.

Now the focus of the bilateral relations will shift to trade negotiations. President Donald Trump has expressed a wish to see a deal after the Japanese election.

Another key issue is whether Japan will participate in a coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran in line with a U.S. wish.

The strong performance of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's LDP in the election "solidifies the image of Japan as a stable leader in Asia," said James Schoff, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

But the poll was generally viewed as a "low-stakes election," he also said. Interest in the Japanese triennial poll was not very high in the United States.

Abe and Trump will meet on the occasions of the Group of Seven summit in France in August and the annual session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in September.

Trump has said he expects an announcement on a possible bilateral trade deal in August. So Japan may take stronger pressure to lower or eliminate its tariffs on agricultural products.

In connection with the maritime security coalition, the U.S. government has sent John Bolton, national security adviser to Trump, to Japan.

Trump has signaled his readiness to help Japan and South Korea resolve their disputes. Abe may need to decide how to respond if Trump takes on the role. Jiji Press