Armitage Had Last Message for Japan as U.S.’S Friend;Fulfill Leadership Role, Don’t Flinch Before Trump

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:05 JST, June 22, 2025

The late Richard Armitage strongly hoped that Japan would stand fast and confident in its leadership role on the world stage, without flinching in the face of actions by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, according to an unfinished essay he was preparing to be published in The Yomiuri Shimbun.

The former U.S. deputy secretary of state was long known for his expertise on Japan. He passed away suddenly at the age of 79 on April 13.

Amid growing uncertainty in the international situation under the second Trump administration, Armitage stressed the importance of Japan’s role as a stable global leader. His message should be noted as the testament of a person who had passionately devoted himself to strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Armitage had planned to visit Japan in May. Before that, his next contribution to “Insights into the World” was scheduled to be published in The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Although the draft was not kept in written form, Kara Bue, a founding partner in his consulting firm who also served as a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. State Department, recalled his comments for the planned essay and shared them with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

According to Bue, the tentative title of the draft is “In an uncertain times, Japan must remain confident in its global role.”

Japan’s national security policy has continued to develop since the 1980s, evolving amid constraints including interpretations of the Constitution. According to Bue, Armitage felt that particularly during the second administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan took the leading role in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement and also served as a humanitarian force for good, growing to occupy “a true leadership position on the global stage.”

Bue also said that Armitage wanted Japan to remember “not to be left uncertain or confused about what it should be doing” because “the world needs Japan more than ever as a steady hand” amid the uncertainty and chaos brought about by the U.S. administration. She described his thoughts as a message of encouragement to Japan.

Believing that having allies and friends was part of “the strength of America,” Armitage criticized how Trump treats such nations, saying he “didn’t feel the Trump administration tended to them as they should.”

What Armitage wanted people to remember was that the top two people in the nations’ respective administrations — the prime minister and the president — were not the entire relationship, Bue said, adding that he encouraged people to feel reassured by the strength of the bilateral alliance.