The charged relationship between Japan and the United States

Katherine Tai at the 2021 US-EU

Carilyn Pointer - The United States and Japan signed an agreement regarding the materials and minerals necessary to make car batteries. The agreement resolves a conflict between the U.S and Japan and has potential for solving future disputes with trade partners. The outcome of this negotiation is a product of the geopolitical codes the U.S. has determined and offers insight into future international relationships.    
                                             
Geopolitical codes are the calculations a country makes to determine how they will interact with the rest of the world. When defining a geopolitical code, countries focus on their current and potential allies, and how to defend themselves from their enemies. The calculations often include economic ties. These complex factors come together to create a geopolitical code that becomes the roadmap for their international relationships and agreements. In the case of the U.S.-Japan battery agreement, finding a way to collaboratively resolve the disagreement was important to both help the current situation and further build and maintain relationships with their allies, Japan, and the EU. This agreement was also important to protect themselves against potential enemies. With China dominating the global car battery industry, the U.S. is highly dependent on China and therefore vulnerable. By working with Japan and other allies to develop more supply chains independent of China, the U.S. becomes less reliant on China and more able protect themselves from future threats. By creating this agreement, the U.S. was able to both protect themselves and strengthen current relationships.
                                                           
After a country has decided how to orient themselves on the global stage and the actions to take, they have one last step to complete. They must try to justify their actions to their citizens and the global community. Justification can dictate whether their actions are accepted and supported by the masses which eventually lead to the success or failure of a decision. With the battery agreement, justification is a fairly simple task, because it makes logical sense, and isn’t a polarized topic. In contrast, deciding to go to war or change laws may be much more complex.