Japan watches for signs of change in Trump's foreign policy priorities

Tokyo fears the drubbing US President Donald Trump suffered in last week's midterm election may push him to pursue a diplomatic quick win at the expense of Washington's allies in the Indo-Pacific. Tokyo has moved swiftly to try to ascertain the mood in a White House that was left reeling by the results of the November 3 midterm election.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris on Monday. Following their meeting, the Japanese Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that both sides agreed to "further advance security cooperation to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance." They also vowed to "maintain close communication" on the situation in the Indo-Pacific, without providing further details.

"Japan's concern is that with Trump becoming a lame duck in domestic politics, he will use his presidential authorities to shift his focus to foreign policy," said Sebastian Maslow, a professor of politics at the University of Tokyo.