Richard Heydarian is an Asia-based academic, columnist and author of "The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt Against Elite Democracy" and the "The Indo-Pacific: Trump, China and the New Struggle for Global Mastery."
Japan support crucial for a region struggling to counterbalance Beijing

Yoshihide Suga, right, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during a welcome ceremony in Hanoi, pictured on Oct. 19: Suga deftly built on the strategic momentum. © Reuters
Richard Heydarian is an Asia-based academic, columnist and author of "The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt Against Elite Democracy" and the "The Indo-Pacific: Trump, China and the New Struggle for Global Mastery."