The unpopularity of the United States is rising around the world, not excluding Northeast Asia. Donald Trump is seen as a loose cannon, arousing distrust in allies and anxiety among potential adversaries that are uncertain of his intentions. Yet, his impact is not a total departure from earlier skepticism and even animosity against the US role in Asia. To grasp it, we need to delve into critical attitudes against US foreign policy that have been shaped over decades, if not longer. This Special Forum focuses on perceptions of the United States, concentrating on its policies in four countries: China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan. The first two are recent enemies rife with adversarial thinking. The next two are US allies, supportive of the alliance but nursing some grievances. The goal is not to achieve a balanced assessment of attitudes in one country or another, but pinpoint sources of blame, which could be reinforced in a period of increasing distrust and demonization of US leadership.

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