The resignation of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, comes at a time of profound uncertainty and geopolitical tension, from the coronavirus pandemic and economic recession to an assertive China and an inward-turning America. Mireya Solís assesses Abe’s domestic and international record, his institutional changes to Japanese leadership, and the challenges awaiting his successor.
Related material:
Listen to Brookings podcasts here, on Apple or on Google podcasts, send email feedback to bcp@brookings.edu, and follow us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.
Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo, Chris McKenna, Fred Dews, Marie Wilken, and Camilo Ramirez for their support.
The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.
More
It [improving Tokyo-Seoul ties] fits the Biden administration’s desire to advance integrated deterrence—the idea that the U.S. and its allies will use all tools and means to deter aggression across different theaters of conflict.
Global diplomatic engagement: Prospects for US-Japan cooperation
[Suggesting that trilateral meetings between China, South Korea, and Japan be revived] is a way to say this is not zero sum and this is not an anti-China development. It’s smart diplomacy to be saying this.