US Plans to Close Some Diplomatic Missions in Five Countries Including Japan and Canada

▲ President Trump

The U.S. government, which has been pushing to overhaul the bureaucratic system, plans to close diplomatic missions in five countries, including Japan and Canada, Reuters reported on the 3rd (local time), citing sources.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the U.S. State Department sent a notice to Congress late last week outlining plans to shut down five overseas missions.

The five targeted missions include the consulates in Nagoya, Japan; Winnipeg, Canada; and Medan, Indonesia; along with the embassy in St. George's, the capital of the Caribbean nation of Grenada; and an embassy branch office in Douala, Cameroon.

It is considered unusual for the U.S. government to close multiple overseas missions without specific geopolitical events prompting the move.

Since returning to office early last year, President Donald Trump has been carrying out sweeping administrative reforms centered on bureaucratic restructuring and "America First."

While dozens of departments have been dismantled in the process, there has been no previous case of closing diplomatic missions.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reportedly maintains the stance that small-scale diplomatic missions are inefficient and unnecessary, and that 30 overseas missions should be eliminated.

The opposition Democratic Party and former foreign policy officials have expressed concern that scaling back diplomatic missions would undermine U.S. leadership around the world.

They also pointed out that if the U.S. closes diplomatic missions on top of drastically cutting foreign aid, rival nations such as China and Russia will fill the void.

In a statement on the 2nd, the U.S. State Department did not confirm the closure of the diplomatic missions, but stated that it is "focused on ensuring that diplomatic missions operate effectively and efficiently."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)

※