With Iran now waging a full-scale war against Israel, the United States finds itself in need of a foreign-policy shakeup. Don't hold your breath. Japan, on the other hand, is fully aware of the threats it faces—especially from China—and is revolutionizing its own foreign policy. Mike Watson explains. |
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"The U.S.-Japan alliance underwent a major tune-up this week to address China's growing threat to the region. New command-and-control arrangements will allow the Japanese and American militaries to collaborate much more closely and respond more swiftly to Chinese actions. The two countries will build more weapons together, and Biden will ask Congress to authorize Japanese shipyards to repair American ships so they can get back in the fight faster. They also met with Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss how to best respond to China's aggression in the South China Sea. As Kishida told Congress on Thursday, Japan has transformed 'from a reticent ally, recovering from the devastation of World War II, to a strong, committed ally, looking outward to the world.'
"These changes have been a long time coming for Tokyo, which awoke to the danger posed by China much earlier than Washington did. When he started his second term as prime minister in late 2012, Shinzo Abe saw that China's growing strength spelled trouble for the region. He began preparing his country for the challenges to come and used Japan's diplomatic and economic toolkit to counter Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. With its usual discernment about geopolitics, the Obama administration feared that Abe was a throwback to Japan's World War II-era militarism. As Xi Jinping unrolled his plan to dominate Asia, Secretary of State John Kerry said that 'the biggest problem in Asia' was Japan.
"Abe had another immense obstacle in his way: Japan's constitution. During the brief period after World War II when liberals hoped that United Nations resolutions would peacefully resolve most international disputes, the American administrators of postwar Japan demanded that the new constitution renounce war and forbid the government from maintaining a military. But as the Cold War got underway, the Americans quickly realized their mistake, and subsequent Japanese governments creatively reinterpreted the constitution to adjust to international realities. For example, Japan does not have an army, navy, or air force, but it does have Self-Defense Forces with tanks, fighter jets, and so-called helicopter destroyers that can carry F-35s."
No word on whether any of these helicopter destroyers are called the Akagi or the Kaga. |
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