This week, U.S. President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel, citing national security concerns and sparking heated debate on U.S.-Japan relations. Lim Tai Wei, professor at Soka University, sees it as a minor issue that Japan will learn from, while commentator Einar Tangen warns that it undermines trust with key allies and harms America's global reputation. Tangen also criticizes the silencing of pro-free trade voices in the U.S. under Trump's "America First" agenda, arguing that this unpredictability hurts foreign investment.