Editorial

8:00 JST, January 1, 2026

The flames of war rage unabated. Even worse, the international order that followed World War II is on the brink of collapse.

Will major powers continue to vie for hegemony through force, as in the imperialist era? Or will order begin to be restored? Or will a new order be established? The world stands at a critical juncture.

Japan can no longer remain merely a beneficiary of the international order as it has been.

This year must serve as the starting point for Japan leading the formation of international public opinion toward establishing a new order to maintain world peace and stability.

To achieve this, intellectual strength, which can be described as the ability to formulate ideas, is essential. It will also test physical strength, as one might describe economic and technological strength, to back it up, as well as the communicative power.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will have lasted four years in February. U.S. President Donald Trump, who initiated efforts at peace mediation, appears to continue to be exploited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who seems intent on buying time.

The fighting between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas over the Gaza Strip in the Palestinian territories has begun moving toward an end through mediation by Trump and others, yet a lasting peace remains far off.

Also, Trump’s disregard for the activities of the United Nations and other international organizations, coupled with his neglect of cooperation with allies in Europe and elsewhere, is likely a major reason for the delay in resolving these issues.

In addition to ignoring international rules, he even describes U.S. relations with China as the “G2” (Group of Two). From such statements and actions by Trump, one cannot help but sense an imperialistic danger — a tendency for the major military powers, the United States, China and Russia, to each seek to dominate spheres of influence by force.

If the foundational principles of the postwar international order, such as free trade and the rule of law, are undermined, then Japan, which relies on overseas sources for food and energy, will find it difficult to maintain its security and even its survival.

Japan must strengthen its cooperation with nations that respect freedom, democracy and the rule of law to prevent the international order from drifting. To lead the effort in shaping international public opinion for this purpose, intellectual strength is, first of all, indispensable.

The “free and open Indo-Pacific” initiative, proposed by Japan a decade ago, is now at a stage requiring further details to be worked out. Unfortunately, it cannot be said that the ability to formulate ideas as to how this initiative should be developed has been fully demonstrated.

In this regard, expanding........

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