Obama's Diplomacy: Focusing on Asia via Cooperation Between Japan, the US and South Korea

In order to preserve peace and stability within Asia, the U.S. and its allies, such as Japan and South Korea, must work to deepen their collaborative relationship.

President Obama has set out to recreate a foreign policy that “focuses on Asia.” The task of reconstructing the shaky collaboration between Japan, the U.S. and South Korea is an important one.

This month, after having a discussion with Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida, Secretary of State John Kerry paid a visit to Indonesia, China and South Korea. President Obama has plans to conduct a tour of visits through the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

China’s expansionist activities in Asia, such as the establishment of an Air Defense Identification Zone, are abundantly clear. The unstable state of affairs in North Korea continues, and the nuclear threat grows ever larger. Undoubtedly, it has occurred to President Obama that active participation and serious effort must be invested into these situations.

President Xi Jinping once more urged Secretary Kerry for the construction of “… a new model of the China-U.S. relationship….” The U.S. wishes, on the one hand, to hold China in check militarily, while also further promoting its interdependent relationship with China on the financial front.

But what kind of “China-U.S. relationship” will be built with both countries mixing their complex agendas? It is sure to develop into a challenging problem. For that reason alone, strengthening cooperation with allied nations is indispensable for the U.S.

Secretary Kerry has made a firm appeal to the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea for the improvement of relations between both countries. Undoubtedly, this is due to the looming fear that the unity of Japan, the U.S. and South Korea — which has become a key point for strategies in Asia — may come to ruin over confrontation between Japan and South Korea regarding historical problems.

It was stated at a joint press conference with South Korea’s foreign minister that “Japan and Korea wish to work closely with the U.S.,” and a plan was announced to set out upon mediation between Japan and South Korea.

However, a break in the deadlock of the present state of affairs will not be such an easy matter. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is intent on holding unconditional summit meetings between Japan and South Korea; however, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has attached several conditions, such as conciliation from Japan regarding the problem of so-called comfort women.

Since Prime Minister Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine at the end of last year and the U.S. expressed its “disappointment,” there have been concerns that the relationship between the U.S. and Japan is becoming unstable.

In an interview regarding the Yasukuni problem, Secretary Kerry stressed that “there is no need to obsess over it any further.”* However, there was a tenor that suggested distrust within the U.S. regarding Japan.

There is also a lingering dissatisfaction on the Japanese side as well. The prime minister’s aide, Seiichi Eto, made his criticism of the U.S. public on the Internet in saying, “it was we who were disappointed,” which he later erased. The comment stirred up significant public debate.

Kenichiro Sasae, the Japanese ambassador to the U.S., also made a statement, saying, "I hope the United States will clearly decide who is its friend and who is the troublemaker."

Whether or not such an attitude recognizes the importance of U.S.-Japan relations is something that will likely be drawn into question by President Obama, who emphasizes action in Asia.

*Editor’s Note: This quote, accurately translated, could not be verified.