With U.S. President Donald Trump apparently paying little attention to regional order in Asia, Japan should push for cooperation with its neighbors to foster long-term coexistence with a rising China, according to a Japanese expert on international relations.
Trump's apparent indifference to Asia has triggered concern in the region, but the birth of the Trump administration "should rather be taken as an opportunity for Asian countries to think about regional order by themselves," said Yoshihide Soeya, professor at Keio University, in a recent interview.
Japan is expected to play a role in promoting cooperation in Asia, such as through strengthening military capacities and helping Southeast Asian countries develop infrastructure, while at the same time maintaining its alliance with the United States, which is necessary to prevent China from prevailing in Asia, Soeya said.