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ITO Kenichi
President, CEAC
"CEAC Commentary"
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"CEAC Commentary"presents views of members of CEAC on an East Asian Community and other related international affairs. The view expressed herein is the author's own and should not be attributed to CEAC.
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The Anti-Chinese Posture Illuminated in Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting
By SUGIURA Masaaki
Political Commentator
The incidents in the Senkaku islands and the Northern territories finally clued in Prime Minister Naoto Kan of his country's situation. Now, Japan is returning to the normal path of its security relations with the United States. The Kan-Obama talk held on November 13 on the sidelines of the Yokohama APEC was reminiscent of the Japan-US summit meetings during the Cold War era, in that the talk put forward the cooperative stance in their bilateral relations under the security treaty. The outcome of the Japan-U.S., Japan-China, and Japan-Russia summit meetings could be summarized in a rough sketch of the diversionary role of Japan-U.S. security cooperation against China in the North Eastern and East China Sea. In his talk with President Obama, Prime Minister Kan expressed his gratitude to the U.S. for its support of Japan on both the Senkaku and Northern territories issues, while mentioning that those issues made many Japanese realize the importance of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the U.S. presence in Japan's soil. In response, President Obama emphasized the necessity to "deepen" Japan-U.S. security relations and criticized China by stating that "China must act according to international norms and rules as a responsible member of the international community." In short, both heads of state agreed on the significance of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and are willing to balance against China in a firm stand.
The Japan-U.S. relationship was half-destroyed by the notorious Hatoyama's foreign policies but is currently heading towards reconstruction with the Futenma issue set on the back burner. It is most obvious that the Chinese and Russians hardened their attitude towards territorial issues under the cloak of the weakening of Japanese-U.S. relations. Kan finally realized the harsh reality of the power politics surrounding Japan but at a high price: public support for the government has gone down to 20%. We should herald the "return" of the United States to Japan but they did so only because they had no choice but to utilize Japan-US security relations as a breakwater against rapid expansion of China and its impudence. As was reported only by ZDF, a German television station, Obama bitterly criticized China over the currency issue during APEC Yokohama stating that "We will show fortitude against those countries which try to enrich themselves off others." There is a lot of disgust of the US against China. AS pro-U.S. Seiji Maehara became new Foreign Minister, it seems that the US is loosening up towards the new DPJ government.
China lowered its raised fist at the sight of the reinvigorated Japan-U.S. security relations. It harshly reacted against Clinton's remark to the effect that the Senkaku incident fell under application of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty but soon toned down. This proved that the Japan-U.S. alliance is pivotal in keeping China at bay. Needless to say, the Kan's foreign diplomacy should not adopt a stern posture against China; there should be maintained cooperation between the two countries in such areas as economy, culture, and sports, to attain in the long run mutually beneficial strategic ties. Japan can guide China in the right direction by occasionally flaunting the Japan-U.S. alliance. It seems that China is already worried about becoming alienated in the international arena. Dividing politics and business may be a necessity, at least for the time being.
Hatoyama's foreign diplomacy symbolized an optimistic hope that national security grew on trees. Various public opinion researches reveal that the Senkaku incident remineded many Japanese of the importance of the Japan-U.S. security framework. Obama asked Kan to come to the United States this coming spring and they plan on voicing a joint statement with respect to the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. Disregarding the question of whether Kan could stay as prime minister till then, the Futenma issue still remains a bone stuck in DPJ's throat; however, the Chinese and Russians could only be suppressed by maintaining good Japan-U.S. relations. A joint statement with the U.S. must be issued at any rate, whoever the prime minister may be by springtime.
(This is the English translation of an article which originally appeared on the BBS "Hyakka-Somei" of CEAC on 15 November, 2010, and was posted on "CEAC Commentary" on 28 February, 2011.)
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For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "CEAC Commentary," the latest of which are as follows, please refer to:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/commentary/backnumber.html
No.66 East Asia Summit featured by the First Participation of U.S. and Russia
by ISHIGAKI Yasuji, Delegate for Japan to AALCO and former Professor of Tokai University
(31 December 2010)
No.65 How Japan Should Respond to Russia's V-J Day
by HAKAMADA Shigeki, Professor of Aoyama Gakuin University
(31 October 2010)
No.64 Two Salient Developments at the 17th ARF
by ISHIGAKI Yasuji, Delegate for Japan to AALCO and former Professor of Tokai University
(31 August 2010)
No.63 A New Development of Japan-China-ROK Summit as a Dispute Settlement Mechanism
by ISHIGAKI Yasuji, Delegate for Japan to AALCO and former Professor of Tokai University
(17 June 2010)
No.62 Bureaucracy behind the One Percent Pass Rate of Foreign Nurses
by IRIYAMA Akira, Guest Professor of Cyber University, and Executive Research Advisor of International Development Center of Japan
(27 April, 2010)
"CEAC Updates"
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"CEAC Updates" introduces to you latest events, announcements and/or publications of CEAC.
Event
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The 44th Policy Plenary Meeting Held to Discuss "ASEAN+3 Summit and East Asia Summit"
The 44th Policy Plenary Meeting of the Council on East Asian Community (CEAC) was held on 27 January, 2011 at the Conference Room of the Japan Forum on International Relations to discuss "ASEAN+3 Summit and East Asia Summit." Mr. ISHIKANE Kimihiro, Deputy Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, made a keynote report, which was followed by an active exchange of views among members of CEAC.
For more, please refer to:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/policy-summary/044.html
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