In order "to boost its influence in U.S. decision-making," the Abe administration provided funding for the new Japan Chair at the Hudson Institute in Washington ("Trump taps think tank chief as Japan envoy" in the Dec. 14 edition.
The Trump administration now plans to nominate the president of that institute, the Straussian political theorist Kenneth Weinstein, to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan.
If Weinstein is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the need to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest would argue for his recusing himself from all interaction with the Abe administration. It is hard to understand how his nomination to serve as ambassador to Tokyo can be viable.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.