Heino Klinck
The proposed $14.9 billion merger between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel has sparked a heated debate in Washington. As someone who has spent a significant portion of my career fostering U.S.-East Asia relations, I find the opposition to this deal on national security grounds frankly difficult to understand. It is not only hypocritical and inconsistent with our long-standing alliance with Japan, but there are no national security concerns that can serve as legitimate reasons to reject this deal.
For seventy-two years and running, Japan has been one of America’s oldest and most trusted allies. President Biden himself has repeatedly emphasized the strength of this relationship. In a joint statement with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Biden declared, “The U.S.-Japan Alliance has reached unprecedented heights. Our nations, individually and together, took courageous steps to strengthen our collective capacity in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.”
This sentiment was echoed by senior administration officials who have consistently highlighted Japan’s critical role in the region. Most notably, Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris said during her trip to Tokyo in September 2022 that our alliance with Japan is “a cornerstone of what we believe is integral to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
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