In July 2020, as the United States and China entered the extraordinary stage of closing each other’s consulates, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the creation of a “new alliance of democracies” to confront the Chinese Communist Party.
A Sankei Shimbun editorial published on July 29 argued that democratic nations, including Japan, must unite to defend sovereignty, national interests, freedom, and the rule of law in the face of China’s actions in Hong Kong, the South China Sea, and international institutions.

2020-07-29
In July 2020, the United States ordered the closure of the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, describing it as a hub of espionage and intellectual-property theft.
China retaliated by closing the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu, pushing the U.S.-China confrontation into the extraordinary realm of reciprocal diplomatic closures.
Against this background, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sharpened the Trump administration’s confrontation with the Chinese Communist Party and called on free nations to form a “new alliance of democracies.”
The following is from a Sankei Shimbun editorial published on July 29, 2020 under the title “The Democratic Camp Must Unite.”
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2020-07-29
What deserves particular attention is Pompeo’s call for the creation of a “new alliance of democracies” to confront China.
The following is from today’s Sankei Shimbun editorial titled “The Democratic Camp Must Unite.”
The United States forced the closure of the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, Texas, on the grounds that it had served as a base for espionage and intellectual-property theft.
China retaliated by taking over the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and the U.S.-China confrontation developed into the extraordinary situation of the two countries closing each other’s diplomatic missions.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech on the Trump administration’s China policy was delivered in the midst of these developments.
It could be described as a declaration of full-scale confrontation with China.
Pompeo criticized the Chinese Communist Party for having “preyed on our free and open societies” and described President Xi Jinping as a believer in totalitarianism who continued to harbor ambitions for hegemony.
He also stressed that free societies must prevail over authoritarian states.
This assessment is correct.
Every democracy, including Japan, must share a sense of crisis and defend its sovereignty, national interests, freedom, and the rule of law.
What deserves particular attention is Pompeo’s call for the creation of a “new alliance of democracies” to confront China.
China refuses to listen to concerns expressed by the G7 and others over the tightening of control in Hong Kong.
It completely ignores criticism that its effective control and militarization of the South China Sea are unlawful.
At the same time, backed by its economic power, China is seeking to penetrate authoritarian states from which Europe and the United States keep their distance, poor and developing countries seeking assistance, and even international organizations, thereby creating a “majority” within the international community.
To break China’s “ambition for hegemony,” unity among democratic nations that share common values is indispensable.
The idea would presumably be for the United States to lead such a “new alliance.”
If so, President Trump himself should establish an appropriate forum, raise the various problems concerning China, and appeal to other countries to unite in confronting them.
At the end of May, Trump delivered a speech criticizing China’s tightening control over Hong Kong and demonstrated his determination to confront China comprehensively.
What is now required of Trump is the leadership to bring democratic nations together and the ability to act on international stages such as the G7.
He must abandon his previous tendency to undervalue alliances.
Japan, which has deep relations with both the United States and China, cannot remain unaffected by the intensification of their confrontation.
As a neighboring country exposed to the threat from China and as a democracy, Japan must be prepared to engage in this confrontation in coordination with the United States.