Has Japan softened Rahm Emanuel? Not likely

TOKYO — Despite 8,000 miles and a 14-hour time difference, the chaos in Washington is never far away for U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel.

Day-to-day responsibilities in Tokyo are further complicated by Republican obstruction of U.S. aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. Japanese people are anxious about former President Trump’s momentum toward the Republican presidential nomination. and American efforts to counter threats from Russia, China, and North Korea.

“My question, based on my background and experience, is: Can Congress live up to the responsibility that the United States has at this point?” Emanuel said in an interview with The Hill late last month from the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Tokyo. .

While there is little doubt that a majority of Congress supports Ukraine, Japanese officials have expressed concern that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) intends to reduce President Biden’s $95 billion I often ask Mr. Emanuel how to explain the delay in voting on additional national security legislation. Postpone until the government spending bill is completed.

“This goes through you like a hot knife through butter,” Emanuel said, clapping his hands for emphasis.

“The question is not whether we get to 218, but whether we get to 290 or 300. The question is how do we pass the bill?” To,” he added.

But given how partisan tensions have grown and the labor order has fallen into disarray, can the United States be counted on by its allies and partners?

“People are paying attention to this and taking action,” he said. “After all, it will be completed. It’s a valid question, but it’s only a hypothesis and cannot be answered.”

A veteran Washington insider who served three Democratic presidents. He will serve a term in a leadership role as a member of the Illinois State Legislature. Former Chicago Mayor — Emanuel has a reputation as an energetic political operative with a penchant for profanity, or at least colorful language.

Emanuel, former President Obama’s chief of staff, had a nameplate on his desk that read, “Secretary of Go F – Yourself.”

Emmanuel from Tokyo caused a small diplomatic crisis In September, he posted harsh comments on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the disappearance of China’s foreign and defense ministers. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the posts were “defamatory” of China.

Emmanuel’s confrontational style may seem at odds with Japan’s typically orderly and polite society.

When asked if his time in Japan influenced his personality, he answered, “I can be tone-deaf sometimes.”

“Maybe I influenced everyone else’s personality,” he says with a laugh.

“I’ve been here for two years. In Japan, I probably feel like I’m 20 years old. No one would have thought that a human being could operate at this tempo.”

Has Emanuel ever discussed the Russian nuclear and space threat with Japanese and U.S. intelligence? He answered with a simple “Yes,” and signaled to move on to the next topic.

Mr. Emanuel is currently preparing for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s state visit to Washington on April 10th. This is expected to be a major milestone in the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific grand strategy, deepening the United States’ most important bilateral relationship. And we will connect the region on multiple dimensions as a counterweight to China’s power and ambitions.

Mr. Kishida’s state visit follows his visit to the United States in August for the historic Japan-China-South Korea summit with South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol at Camp David, which marked the beginning of a historic relationship between Tokyo and Seoul. This was a successful outcome that eased the tense relationship.

“When Camp David happened, at its most basic level, it was a day that China never wanted to see happen,” Emanuel said of his proudest moment in two and a half years. He spoke while looking back on some of his thoughts about his work. It’s been half a year since I came to the countryside.

Emanuel gestured to a room outside the mansion’s library where our interview would take place, announcing the August 2022 interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kurt Campbell, then the National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator. They discussed the talks and planned the necessary steps to implement the policy. The Biden administration’s goal in the region is to reach Camp David.

“Many people participated, but the most important one was the president of the United States,” he said.

Is former President Trump’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination in danger of collapsing if he wins the November election?

“To move away from that is to move away from an important strategic advantage for the United States,” Emanuel said. “Korea, Japan and the United States have a vision — will they survive? I think they will.”

During his administration, President Trump was more favorable toward relations with Japan than he was in disdain for Europe, but he still pursued a trade policy that ignored traditional Japan-U.S. relations.

“Can it be solved? Anything can be solved. But it’s getting closer to the basis of the operational capabilities of all three countries,” Emanuel added.

Recognizing that close security ties are a fundamental countermeasure against threats from our country, Japanese officials and experts have established strong ties between Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul to protect against regime change in either country. Both countries agree that efforts are underway to “institutionalize” cooperation between them. Especially China and North Korea.

“It’s very important for us to maintain that.” [South] South Korea is also joining us,” a Japanese defense official told The Hill.

Mr Emanuel has been careful to show that he is focused on the job at hand and has declined to answer questions about his post-ambassador ambitions. His first choice in the Biden administration is said to be transportation secretary.

“How about we stop doing that? I’m not going to answer that question. I have a job to do…When the time comes, I’ll figure out the answer to that question.”

Because of the 14-hour time difference, Washington and Tokyo have a small window through which they can communicate during working hours. Mr. Emanuel checks the records of his morning calls: calls with Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zaients, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, and Business Secretary Gina Raimondo. Email with the Director.

With such accessibility, Emanuel said, Washington doesn’t feel that far away, but being 8,000 miles away “gives you a different perspective, what I call ‘Disneyland on the Potomac.'” I looked back.

Far from the daily hustle and bustle of Washington, he’s gaining perspective as he reflects on the tough partisan battles during the Obama administration to pass health care and raise the minimum wage. Paint hearts and go to battle. ”

“It looks completely different from 8,000 miles away,” he said.

“I think this was a unique gift that I was given. I had the opportunity to spend an extended period of time in a country that I knew well but didn’t know. I say that in a way, not flippantly. I came, looked, and fell in love.”

The author traveled to Japan at the expense of Foreign Press Center Japan, a non-profit foundation that receives funding from the Japanese government. The meeting with the US Ambassador to Japan was organized separately from FPCJ.