Trump's Japan Ambassador Nominee Says Tokyo Must Pay More for US Troop Presence

George Glass, the United States President Donald Trump's pick to be the next Ambassador to Japan, said the US "undoubtedly" will need to prompt Japan to raise its share of costs for hosting American forces in the area.

Speaking about the agreement due to be renewed in 2027, Glass defined the existing US-Japan partnership as "at an apex." In addition to that, he also committed to making bilateral relationships stronger if approved. Concerning the security of the Indo-Pacific, he mentioned China's militarization, citing local media reports.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Glass pointed out that Japan now hosts some 60,000 US servicemen and provides about $1.4 billion a year for the US military presence. Nevertheless, he stated that as Chinese military capabilities advance, it is now "substantially more costly" to counter Beijing's influence.

"Whether we've got weapons systems that we're going to need to upgrade, command-and-control that we are going to be upgrading with the Japanese, these are extremely costly undertakings," Glass said.

"And so certainly, I think we're going to have to sit down with the Japanese and discuss an increase in that support," he was reported to have told Japan Today.

The Special Measures Agreement, which establishes Japan's funding responsibilities for hosting US forces, continues to be a central point of bilateral negotiations. To this effect, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated at a press conference that no decisions had yet been reached on the post-2027 cost burden, but Japan would continue to weigh its own fair share of costs, according to The Japan Times.

Glass also touched on economic issues of the US-Japan relationship, expressing his interest in negotiating tariffs and trade balance. "If confirmed, I will have difficult conversations on tariffs and decreasing our trade deficit with Japan," he said. He also recognized Japan's resolve in boosting its defense budget, further strengthening its military capabilities to support common security objectives in the Indo-Pacific.

Emphasizing the importance of the US-Japan alliance, Glass observed that it would celebrate its 65th anniversary in 2025 and reiterates that it has been a source of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the rest of the world. "And our shared values make cooperation work in the G7, the Quad, trilateral relations with South Korea and the Philippines, and more," he added, in a statement published by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.