Some of the targets of President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, such as China and the European Union, are fighting back. South Korea and Japan feel they have to play nice. They are terrified that Mr Trump will weaken or even withdraw the security guarantees that have kept them safe for over seven decades. So as he insists on a “one-stop shop" negotiation, bundling trade and other economic issues with security, they are scrambling to offer him goodies. “Through co-operative negotiations with the United States, we will be able to find some win-win solutions," Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s acting president, tells The Economist.
South Korean and Japanese officials are putting on their politest smiles and heading to Washington. Akazawa Ryosei, the minister leading negotiations for Japan, visited the White House on April 16th and donned a MAGA hat. A week later, South Korea’s finance and trade ministers met their American counterparts. Talks with both countries will continue this week.
Unlock Premium Insights from The Economist
Take your experience further with Mint Premium- access unparalleled insights on important global issues
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Login
Premium benefits
30+ articles from print edition and premium publication daily
Present across social media apps to keep you updated
In-depth Market Reports from leading experts
Most loved Mint podcasts on 35+ topics
Sharp insights supported by simple data and visuals
Unlock 30+ well researched
and bias free premium articles daily
Access to global insights with
100+ exclusive articles from
international publications
Get complimentary access to
3+ investment based apps
TRENDLYNE Get One Month GuruQ plan at Rs 1
FINOLOGY Free finology subscription for 1 month.
SMALLCASE 20% off on all smallcases
5+ subscriber only newsletters
specially curated by the experts
Free access to e-paper and
WhatsApp updates
Not convinced yet?
Share your contact details and
we will get in touch with you…
= 48 && event.charCode Confirm
Thanks for sharing your number