By Ayumi Teraoka
Despite slightly diverging views, Japan and the U.S. are capable of strengthening regional security.
In the midst of rising Sino-Japanese tensions, a less-watched aspect of the Asian security dilemma is the alliance between the U.S. and Japan. The development of fears of entrapment and abandonment is a new obstacle for U.S.-Japan relations. How should Washington and Tokyo overcome this dilemma while strengthening the alliance?
Japan’s Temporary Triumph
Before President Barack Obama’s trip to Japan last month, the Japanese side lobbied aggressively for a clear statement of U.S. commitment vis-à-vis the Senkaku Islands, which are also claimed by China as the Diaoyu islands. Despite his previous hesitance to give such a commitment, Obama made clear during his joint statement with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Alliance covers the disputed territory.
This put a temporary end to the argument between China and Japan over who would sway the U.S. position concerning the islands. A few weeks before the trip, the Chinese Minister of Defense Chang Wanquan told U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, “We hope that the U.S. could stay vigilant against Japan’s action and keep it within bounds and not to be permissive and supportive.” For the time being, however, it seems that China’s effort to diminish the U.S. commitment to Japan failed; yet the game continues.
Read the full story at The Diplomat