China, North Korea and Iran are part of an "axis of autocrats" and the United States and its allies are the "thin blue line" protecting democracy, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Japan said on Friday in a parting shot at Beijing.
Rahm Emanuel has been a sharp critic of China's economic and geopolitical strategies during his three years in Japan.
"The world is shrinking, consolidating, and shaping, and the United States has to respond to that," the Democrat told reporters. "The United States is that thin blue line between autocracy, where might equals right, and rules, laws, principles and values."
Rahm, 65, described an "axis of autocrats" -- Russia along with China, Iran and North Korea, all three of whom he said had taken steps to support Moscow's war in Ukraine.
China presents itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war, although it remains a close political and economic ally of Russia.
"The Indo-Pacific is a home game for China and an away game for the United States. With our allies, we level the playing field," he said.
Moves to boost U.S.-Japan defense ties, and information sharing with South Korea on recent North Korean missile launches, are among examples he said showed that the "credibility of our deterrence in this region is strengthened".
"Part of the entire strategy of China is to isolate a country in this region and use their full force and power to isolate that country and limit and restrict their both sovereignty and independence," Emanuel said.
But as America and its allies display increasing "strength in numbers... then the isolated party is China".
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, has named businessman George Glass as Rahm's replacement.
Rahm said he had no plans to change tack under Trump.
"I will engage, because I think whether domestically, internationally or whatever, ideas and principles are worth fighting about," he said.
© 2025 AFP
13 Comments
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Absolutely correct. We need to watch out for the Dictatorship Cabal, as I refer to it.
Tokyo Guy
A nice but of snark aimed at the incoming admin, who clearly want to emulate at least two of those countries.
Tokyo Guy
/bit/ of snark.
Tamarama
Unfortunately for him, his incoming President is currently verbally threatening a host of other nations with either economic or military force for hegemonic purposes, so whilst this might be the spin, the reality is something else altogether. Imagine how the Danes are feeling right now.
And here's the regional spin designed to keep the US embedded militarily in Asia, and to keep Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Phillipines etc buying US made weapons.
Absolute nonsense.
deanzaZZR
Blinken/Emanuel/Burns have been an embarrassment to the art of diplomacy.
Perhaps Rahm missed this article from Nikkei only a few days ago.
Japan lays groundwork for state visit by China's Xi
"The Japanese government is expected to invite Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Japan next month, seeking to pave the way for a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping."
stickman1760
Axis of autocrats? Add Trump to the list. But we only have Dems to thanks for that. People like Rahm who hid the fact that Biden was unable to go on.
elephant200
Trump is ruinning your everything before sworn in as you stated. His recent rhetorics expansionism of acquiring Greenland,the Panama canal or maybe annex of Canada with both economic or military force. He is drawing anger from around the world and U.S. is a hateful country from everyone now !
elephant200
@TaiwanisChina: We need to watch out for the Dictatorship Cabal.
You better watch out that mad dog inside the White house now. He is back and he can be very nasty !
Fos
People should celebrate and instead media continue to give him space.
He is the essence of what American state department is about: double standards and sheer hypocrisy. Nobody raised the question about Washington military support of Israel in the tragic catastrophe of the the Middle East
kibousha
Funny how Taiwan soldiers were the ones dying defending China against Imperial Japan, while CCP goons were hiding the mountains.
Now, Japanese people and Taiwan are best friends against thugs that only know how to steal tech and people's hard work.
Too bad, Japanese politicians love CCP more than their country.
Fos
kibousha
Funny how the US industrial military complex is producing manipulative narrative every day with no history evidence to justify their multibillion dollars shift to Asia, after (what looks like) loosing their marketshare of weapons shipping in Eastern Europe.
Even more humorous giving space to Emanuel point of views, so we better stop here.
But, hey, nice try! :)
Blacklabel
This guy been “outgoing” since October. Can he just leave already?
OssanAmerica
No, J-politicians love money, not the CCP.