The following is from a feature article in the monthly magazine WiLL titled "U.S. Society Under Pressure for Freedom of Speech and Press," in which Genki Fujii talks with Yoichi Shimada.
p212-p215
Give priority to the critical part instead of anywhere else.
Fujii
Since Biden is such a man, he has been doing many things out of line in foreign policy other than China.
In the area of Middle East policy, he has removed the Houthis, a dissident Shiite militant group active mainly in Yemen, from the list of terrorists.
Saudi Arabia and Israel are upset with that decision.
Shimada
Of course. The Houthis are under the umbrella of Iran, and they have been fighting on the front lines against Saudi Arabia.
For Saudi Arabia and Israel, which are de facto allies in the fight against Iran, this must be a severe matter.
Fujii
Now that the weight of Trump is gone, Iran is taking a step or two toward nuclear armament.
And yet, the Biden administration says it will return to the Iran nuclear agreement.
Shimada.
When the Middle East situation becomes chaotic, as there is a saying in Go, "Give priority to the critical part instead of anywhere else," the U.S. has no choice but to turn its attention in that direction.
As a result, the security situation in East Asia will become less secure.
Fujii
The Chinese Communist Party intends to make things happen in the Middle East so that the U.S. will turn its attention to the Middle East.
That is why China prevents the United States from reaching out to East Asia.
This strategy worked well before the Trump administration.
From the standpoint of the world order, North Korea and Iran, designated as "rogue states," would have been reasonably calm if a superpower like the U.S. had kept its eye on them.
However, with the military coup in Myanmar and the Houthi rebellion, disturbing movements have resumed.
It is quite possible that North Korea, now that its "thundering father" Trump is no longer around, will start to take more active steps, including nuclear armament.
Shimada
What Kim Jong-un fears more than anything is that his own life will be threatened.
When Trump indicated that he was prepared to resort to a beheading campaign, Kim Jong-un sent his servant, Moon Jae-in, to approach the United States diplomatically.
Moreover, in January 2020, Trump killed General Soleimani, the man in charge of Iran's foreign sabotage program, in a drone attack immediately after he landed at an airport in neighboring Iraq.
A high-ranking government official was the target of a beheading campaign in the territory of a third country.
There were calls that this was a violation of international law and a violation of the U.S. Executive Order prohibiting assassinations, but Trump did not care.
Such a scene would send chills down the spine of anyone, not just Kim Jong-un. I think it was a great deterrent to terrorists.
However, Biden said, "If it were up to me, I would not have given the go-ahead for such an operation.
Fujii
Robert Gates, the former Secretary of Defense, described Biden as "wrong on every major diplomatic and national security issue for the past 40 years.
To be wrong about everything is not an easy thing to do (laughs).
Shimada.
Gates added that on the way home from a meeting at the White House, a passenger pointed out to him, "You agreed with the vice president today," and he said, "I've noticed that, too, and that's why I'm reconsidering whether I'm wrong" (all laugh).
Fujii
However, from Japan's point of view, it is no laughing matter.
Japan needs to be mindful of whether it can really deal with Biden for four years.
