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(Bloomberg) — Any decision to dispatch Japanese military vessels to the Middle East to escort ships would face “high hurdles,” a senior official said, after President Donald Trump expressed hopes that Tokyo would join the US to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.”
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“While it is not legally ruled out, given the ongoing conflict, it is something that should be judged carefully,” ruling Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi told public broadcaster NHK on Sunday.
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Kobayashi’s comments responding to Trump came days ahead of a planned visit to Washington by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Japan’s plans to reaffirm its alliance with the US and discuss trade and investment deals at a March 19 summit had already been overshadowed by the war in Iran.
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Japan is heavily reliant on oil from the Middle East to power its economy. Yet the country, which has maintained a pacifist constitution for eight decades, hasn’t taken a clear stance on the Iran war. Polls show the conflict is opposed by a large majority of its electorate.
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On Wednesday, Takaichi announced that Japan would release 80 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves ahead of an agreement by the International Energy Agency to release a record total of 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves.
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Asked about the issue in parliament last week, Takaichi said Tokyo has no plans to deploy minesweepers to help clear mines from around the strait, at least not until after the conclusion of the war between the US, Israel and Iran.
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Given Trump’s propensity to change his message, Takaichi should use her personal ties with him to find out his true intentions, Kobayashi said on Sunday.
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“We need to figure out what he really wants. This is the most important thing.”
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—With assistance from Makiko Asai.
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English (US)