The United States Reassures Its Asian Allies

Two weeks after taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has begun establishing his administration's foreign policy priorities. U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis arrived in Tokyo on Feb. 3 for the second leg of his first overseas trip, a four-day visit to South Korea and Japan. While in Japan, Mattis will meet with his Japanese counterpart and pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will head to Washington for a meeting with Trump on Feb. 10. That Mattis chose to visit South Korea and Japan on his maiden voyage as defense secretary indicates the importance the Trump administration has put on the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Northeast Asia....