In January 2025, the second Trump administration was inaugurated. It didn’t take long for the world to learn what the president really meant by “Golden Age” and “America First” when he announced a slew of new diplomatic and trade initiatives. Trump 2.0, unafraid to embrace unpredictability, has had a sense of the beginning of a new global order felt across the globe.

While affirming the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, President Trump has shown signs of dissatisfaction to it and announced high tariffs, leaving his real intentions unclear. The relationship with China, "the greatest threat," also remains highly enigmatic.

Three notable figures—former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who oversaw Asia policy during the Biden presidency; former Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger, involved in Asia diplomacy in the first Trump administration; and former National Security Advisor Takeo Akiba, who long guided Japan's diplomacy—will discuss the uncertain future of the Indo-Pacific region fraught with unpredictability.