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by Our Foreign Desk
JAPANESE officials said yesterday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will take a clear message to Washington when he visits next week.
And the substance of that message is that Japan is ready to take more responsibility for security on the world stage.
But translation of the diplomat-speak indicates that Japan is simply anxious to cement US support in any regional disagreement with China.
“America, of course, has been committed to and has interest in Asia, but we would like it to turn its eyes even more to Asia, and build up its influence toward China,” said ruling Liberal Democratic Party spokesman Hajime Funada.
“We have a sense of crisis that Chinese President Xi Jinping is increasing China’s hegemonic motivation.”
Japan has been criticised by US rightwingers for free-riding on US military spending.
Mr Abe will make the first speech to Congress by a Japanese leader on April 29.
The address will follow the unveiling of the first update of US-Japan defence co-operation guidelines since 1997.
Those revisions, reflecting the biggest change in Japan’s policy in decades, will expand its scope for global action.
Despite US assurances, worries persist in Tokyo that Washington, overstretched elsewhere, may not come to Japan’s defence in any clash with Beijing.
A recent government briefing paper on the defence co-operation guidelines said a key goal of the update was to reconfirm “America’s strong commitment” to defend Japan.
