Japanese were asking in the late spring and early summer what the collapse of Sino-US ties means for their country and for bilateral relations with both parties. Would Abe’s pursuit of Xi Jinping, awaiting a delayed state visit by the Chinese leader, harm ties to the US? Would a lack of outrage about China’s policies, including the new security law for Hong Kong, leave Japan out of sync with the international community? Criticism of Abe was mounting, over his deference to China as well as other policies, domestic and foreign, that looked worse in the pandemic period. Sino-Indian relations, the Korean Peninsula, and Russia were viewed in this geopolitical context.

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