Articles on power, policy, and markets

Where the Edges Line Up: Texas and Japan

At first glance, Texas and Japan look like two pieces from entirely different puzzles. One is a sprawling American state where bigger is better. The other is a Pacific archipelago that prizes the smaller, the precise, and the harmonious. Yet hold the pieces

The Japan America needs: Reshaping the Middle East

For decades, Japan has managed its alliance with the United States through stability, predictability, and careful diplomacy. That approach no longer guarantees influence. That approach suited a different era. Today, it risks undermining leverage in a world

America Is Becoming Europe’s Strategic Operating Platform

For Europe’s most capable firms, the United States is no longer just a market to sell into. It is increasingly the place where long-term industrial, technological, and strategic growth must be built. For years, many European companies treated the United

After the Shock, the Strategy: What Trump’s Global Reset Means for Europe and the Pacific

For a while, many allied capitals treated the Trump administration’s return as if it were mainly a change in tone. Sharper rhetoric. More tariffs. Fewer niceties at summits. But by now the pattern is too clear to miss. This is not a mood swing in Washington.

Europe’s Wine Industry Needs a Washington Strategy, Not Just a Sales Strategy

For decades, European wineries could approach the United States primarily as a commercial opportunity. Build the brand, secure the importer, cultivate the distributor, and let demand do the rest. That approach is no longer sufficient.  Today, access to the

American Strategic Alignment in a Competitive Era

For a long time, business strategy and national security were treated as separate disciplines. One belonged to governments. The other belonged to markets. That distinction is breaking down. The United States is taking a more direct view of power, one that

China’s AI Power Play Puts Japan at a Crossroads in the Global Race for Technology Dominance

A leadership moment that could determine Asia’s digital future China is advancing a national technology strategy that may prove decisive for the next era of artificial intelligence—but its center of gravity is not chips, code, or export controls. It is power.

Japan’s Defense Expansion: Strategic Implications for Businesses in 2026

Dec 31 – Japan has approved its largest defense budget on record, a move that reflects how sharply the country’s security outlook has shifted amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific and growing concern about China’s military ambitions. It marks a fundamental

Golden age ahead: Tokyo and Washington tee up next chapter in strategic partnership

https://youtu.be/bFT2toMqGnY Top headlines for Donald Trump and Sanae Takaichi: Key Headlines President Trump praised Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi, during his visit to Tokyo. He welcomed her commitment to a military buildup and signed a

Peace Through Strength: Trump Brokers Peace in Southeast Asia

Trump’s Cambodia–Thailand Deal Signals a New Indo-Pacific Reality In a moment largely ignored by mainstream media, President Donald J. Trump once again demonstrated why leadership grounded in peace through strength works. For decades, Cambodia and Thailand

Japan’s Political Realignment: The Dawn of the Takaichi Era

A historic leadership shift opening the door to reform and renewal Japan is standing at a rare political crossroads. Following the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election on October 4, Sanae Takaichi has emerged as the new party president—and soon,

Spain Launches an Ambitious State Plan to Combat Corruption

Spain Turns to AI to Combat Corruption and Rebuild Public Trust Spain is taking a decisive technological turn in its fight against corruption. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a sweeping State Plan to Combat Corruption , anchored by the deployment

Apple Bets Big on America as Trump Tariffs Reshape Global Tech

Play Apple Bets Big on America as Trump Tariffs Reshape Global Tech In a bold response to shifting trade winds and intensifying White House pressure, Apple has announced a new $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing , further deepening its American

Trump Announces 100 Percent Tariff on Chips and Semiconductors

https://youtu.be/caKk-V_Suqk President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will impose a 100% tariff on imports of semiconductors and chips, but not for companies that are “building in the United

Trump’s Semiconductor Policy: Chip One Interview

https://youtu.be/Wowvz5g6KmQ 🇺🇸🇯🇵 Trump’s Semiconductor Policy: Exclusive Interview with Former Senior White House Advisor As global power dynamics and technology continue to evolve, few sectors lie more squarely at the center of it all than

Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan

The White House Releases “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan” In accordance with President Trump’s January executive order on Removing Barriers to American Leadership in AI , the White House today unveiled a bold, comprehensive strategy to secure

Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government

President Donald Trump’s executive order dated July 23 2025 directs federal agencies to ensure that AI systems purchased by the government are neutral and truthful. It declares that large language models (LLMs) used by agencies must be free of “diversity,

The United States and Indonesia Reach Historic Trade Deal

🇺🇸🤝🇮🇩 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 Fact Sheet: The United States and Indonesia Reach Historic Trade Deal DELIVERING ON RECIPROCAL TRADE President Donald J. Trump has announced a landmark trade agreement with Indonesia that unlocks

Ishiba’s Press Conference

Ishiba’s Press Conference: 石破総裁会見 Opening Remarks [On the Election Result] In yesterday’s Upper House election, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) received an extremely harsh verdict from the public. Despite significant support from our coalition partner

Japan Votes: What’s at Stake in the 2025 House of Councillors Election

Joint Exit Poll – As of 4:00 PM (July 20, 2025) for each prefecture: Kanagawa CDP, Makiyama – 16.5% LDP, Waki – 14.3% Komeito, Sasaki – 14.0% DPP, Kagoshi – 12.7% Sanseito, Hatsushikano – 10.5% Reiwa, Miyoshi – 6.7% JCP, Asaka – 6.1% Tokyo Sanseito, Saya –

Public Affairs: A New Required Subject for Startups

Polyflect CEO Miyata will be speaking at "Public Affairs: A New Required Subject for Startups" (held on August 4, 2025) Mr. Miyata, will be speaking at "Public Affairs: A New Required Subject for Startups" to be held on August 4, 2025. Please apply for

A Wake-Up Call for Supply Chain Security in the Age of Cyber Warfare

No More Digital Backdoors: Microsoft Ends Use of China-Based Engineers on U.S. Military Projects July 20, 2025 – In the wake of a damning ProPublica exposé and swift scrutiny from Capitol Hill, Microsoft announced Friday that it will no longer rely on

Japanese Politics Meets International Readership

A Quiet Breakthrough: Japanese Politics Meets International Readership In an unprecedented move, The Japan Times invited nearly every major political party in Japan to submit an English-language op-ed ahead of the July 20 Upper House election. The result is a

Japan’s House of Councillors Election on July 20

A Pivotal Vote for the Nation’s Future On July 20 , Japanese voters will cast their ballots in one of the most consequential elections in recent memory. The outcome of the House of Councillors election—not only a regular exercise in democratic

The Geopolitics of Trade Negotiations

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Pentagon’s 2026 Budget Fuels Next‑Gen Air Dominance

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Charting the Next Chapter of U.S.–Japan Alliance in the 21st Century

A Future-Oriented Partnership Requires Embracing the America First Agenda By Camilo Sandoval For decades, the U.S.-Japan alliance has been guided by stewards like Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye—figures who helped institutionalize a post–Cold War, liberal

Japan’s Cybersecurity Crossroads

Inside the New Active Cyber Defense Law and What It Means for Global Security On May 16, Japan’s Upper House passed a bill introducing an active cyber defense framework, authorizing the government to collect communications metadata and take measures to

The Future Won’t Wait: Cruely

How AI is Forcing Companies to Rethink Their Performance In less than 30 days, a suspended student from Columbia launched Cluely , an AI tool built to “cheat on everything,” raised millions in funding, and sparked a global debate on the future of work,

Trump administration’s tariff calculation Explained

Trump's New Tariff Formula On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a new tariff policy, introducing a 10% universal import duty on all goods entering the United States, with higher, country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs for approximately 60

Tariffs, Turbulence, and Opportunity

Turning Trade Shocks Into Strategic Advantage: How Pacific Square Helps Companies Navigate the New Era of Supply Chain Risk In an increasingly multipolar and protectionist world, the lines between trade, national security, and industrial policy are blurring

President Trump’s Bold Reset of U.S. Trade Policy

Trump’s “Liberation Day” and the New Economic Doctrine of America First On April 2, 2025 , President Donald J. Trump stood at the White House and declared what he called the “Declaration of Economic Independence.” Backed by sweeping policy changes, he

Senate Bill Prohibiting US Investments in Covered Chinese Technologies

Senate Bill Prohibiting US Investments in Covered Chinese Technologies Garners Significant Bipartisan Support Introduction: A Bipartisan Push to Counter China On March 13, 2025, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Foreign Investment Guardrails to Help

Nearly 50% of Japanese Executives Target U.S. Expansion

THE TRUMP EFFECT: Why Japanese Executives Are Doubling Down on U.S. Expansion In a recent survey of executives from 144 major Japanese companies, a striking trend has emerged: 30% are actively expanding operations in the United States , while another 20% are

Trump executive order consolidates federal IT contracting under GSA

Executive Order Centralizes IT Procurement Under GSA President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to centralize the procurement of common goods and services, notably information technology, under the General Services Administration (GSA). Effective

The United States Moves to Secure Its Digital Future with a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

The United States Moves to Secure Its Digital Future with a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve In a historic move, the President of the United States has issued an Executive Order establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the United States Digital Asset Stockpile

Replicator Drones: The Future of U.S. Military Strategy

Key Takeaways from the U.S.-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement

Key Takeaways There’s no better time to invest in America, as Japan’s Nippon Steel plans to significantly invest in U.S. Steel rather than acquire it—one of the key outcomes from the first meeting between Trump and Ishiba. 🇺🇸🇯🇵 Key Takeaways from the

Strengthening Homeland Security

The White House’s Focus on Next-Generation Missile Defense On January 27, 2025, the White House issued a landmark executive order designed to bolster national security against advanced missile threats. With a renewed emphasis on deploying a comprehensive

Advancing U.S.-Japan Cyber Defense: Strengthening the Alliance During Trump's Second Term

Lessons from the Previous Administration Japan’s evolving approach to cybersecurity represents a significant shift in its national defense strategy. Under the previous U.S. administration , Japan and the U.S. deepened their cybersecurity cooperation to