What does "as much as" mean here?

Question

TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan has never seemed to waver in his support for President Trump, seeking out meetings and regularly speaking by telephone. He is one of a few world leaders who rarely criticize or even comment on Mr. Trump’s political turmoil at home.

That approach, as much as a personal relationship, reflects Japan’s keen awareness that it needs the United States as its primary protector in a volatile region.

Hi, dear teachers,

1. would you please tell me what "as much as" mean here?

2. The title of this release is "Japan Still Seeks U.S. Protection but Quietly Stakes Its Own Path". What does "stake" mean here?

Thank you.

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

1. The use here of "as much as" is not the best wording for this thought. The writer is trying to say that the prime minister's approach has two sources. If the writer wanted to use that phrase, he could have said "That approach reflects a personal relationship as much as it shows Japan's keen awareness ... "

I would have written the sentence as: That approach reflects not only

I would have written the sentence as: That approach reflects not only a personal relationship but also Japan's keen awareness that it needs the United states as its primary protector in a volatile region.

2. To stake a path means to find your own way, to strike out on your own. If you were making a new path in the wilderness, you would drive wooden stakes into the ground to show where you want to build.

Clear?

What does "as much as" mean here?

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