America's allies are preparing for a bumpy ride

SURPRISED and shaken by Donald Trump's victory, America's allies are hoping for the best while desperately seeking guidance on what his presidency might mean for them. Mr Trump's statements on the campaign trail were contradictory and often disturbing. Many countries see the 70-year-old Pax Americana as a source of security and prosperity. That the president-elect might place little value on this system of alliances and rules is as incredible to many as it is alarming.Since the election, Mr Trump has made some moves to calm such fears. Foreign leaders who have spoken with him report that he was friendly and largely reassuring. Before the election he had suggested that Japan, for example, should either pay America a lot more for its defence or build its own nuclear forces. But after meeting him on November 17th Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, declared himself 'convinced that Mr Trump is a leader in whom I can have confidence'. Katsuyuki Kawai, a senior aide to Mr Abe, said that members of Mr Trump's transition team had told him that not all of the president-elect's pre-election remarks should be taken literally.South...Continue reading
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