Restoring Japan and the US with 'Operation Tomodachi'

As far as the Japanese are concerned, the foreign aid we received after the Tohoku earthquake three years ago was unforgettable. Going above all the others, the U.S. Pacific Command deployed “Operation Tomodachi” before our very eyes. What a strong impression that gave. Overwhelmed by emotion, I became one of the many people who created the "Thank You" advertisement published in the Sankei Shimbun. This joint operation between the U.S. military and Japan's self-defense forces was meant to deter surrounding countries from ignoring the law during Japan's vulnerable recovery period.

In the Three Years Since Then, Have Relations Taken a Turn for the Worse?

Yet, how are current Japan-U.S. relations? American mass media has been dragged into the propaganda war being waged against Japan by China and Korea. It's not only The Washington Post or The New York Times. Even the so-called conservative newspaper The Wall Street Journal has joined in chorus with China and Korea, making statements like “Prime Minister Abe is a nationalist” and “In Japan, the right wing is kicking up a fuss.” Japan-U.S. relations appear to have taken a turn for the worse.

The source of this mix-up is a lack of clarity in the Obama administration's Asia policy. To explain, I'll borrow a statement from Michael Auslin, a senior researcher at American conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute:

“The real danger for Washington is that it becomes seen as a paper tiger. The Obama administration has never made clear just what its goals are in Asia. Is it to promote democracy and liberalism? That certainly doesn't seem to be high on the list, given the failure to confront Chinese human rights abuses or link together other democracies.”

I'll elaborate on what this boils down to. President Obama himself has said that “[America] should not be the world’s policeman.” At the same time, however, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is affirming that "continuous cuts to the defense budget will expose U.S. military security to short-term and long-term risks."* Hearing this while watching the drastic cuts that are being made to America's defense budget is depressing.

There's also something I can't help getting nervous about concerning Asia's allies, which is the “new model of major country relationship.” This idea was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a bilateral meeting between American and Chinese leaders in California last June. In a November speech, presidential aid (National Security Adviser) Susan Rice also expressed that the U.S. “would endeavor to make [such a relationship] work.”* In effect, the U.S. accepted Xi's proposal in order to see how events will progress.

It Could Plunge a Knife into the Alliance

The expression “new type of relations among major countries” was originally used at the second round of talks of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which opened in Washington in 2010. Chinese State Councilor in charge of foreign affairs Dai Bingguo used the expression “win-win new type of relations among major countries.”* His words were clarified by then-Vice President of China Xi in a speech he gave in Washington when he visited the U.S. in Feb. 2012. Additionally, following Rice's speech, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry were discussing their upcoming visits to China.

The problem here is the content of Xi's speech. In addition to advocating mutual understanding, he also proposed showing “respect for core interests.” I want to believe that the U.S. will not accept his suggestion lightly, but I don't know how exactly these talks are progressing. However, it would be completely out of the question to allow Chinese political leaders to freely apply the expression “core interests” wherever they please. If they were able to do that, they could claim “core interests” beginning with Taiwan, and then Tibet, Xinjiang and even the Senkaku Islands.

It may be that we're seeing a clever use of strategy and tactics here. Japan is currently at odds with both China and Korea, and the Obama administration remains undecided on what to do. China may be taking advantage of this situation in order to create a large international framework with fellow superpowers. If, for the sake of argument, the U.S. were to get on board with China's proposal, it could plunge a knife into the Japan-U.S. alliance.

A good example of the serious concerns mentioned by other allies is the appeal made by President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines in the Feb. 4 edition of The New York Times. At the suggestion of the U.S. government, the Philippines withdrew its troops from the Scarborough Shoal in 2012. After they withdrew, however, the Chinese military stayed behind and continued to exercise control over the area. President Aquino remarked that the current situation resembles conditions that led to World War II when, in accordance with Hitler's demands, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain surrendered Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia (as it was then known) to Germany.

Russel's Testimony Brings Sunshine after the Rain

Yet a little bit of sunshine has come along to lighten my gloomy mood. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel (East Asian and Pacific Affairs) testified at the March 4 public hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Asia-Pacific subcommittee). He clearly stated that the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-Korea alliances have played a central role in East Asia policy. Although he also emphasized that any alliances the U.S. has in the region are not aimed at China, his meaning concerning the close relationships between the U.S., Japan and Korea is clear. In terms of the Senkaku Islands, he also stated that the U.S. is firmly opposed to intimidation, coercion and use of force.

There is, as I mentioned earlier, something called “Operation Tomodachi” in the Japan-U.S. alliance. This joint operation between the U.S. military and Japan's self-defense forces provided disaster relief to the Philippines after it was struck by large-scale Typhoon Haiyan last November. During the operation, the U.S. Marine Corps' new vehicles, MV-22 Ospreys, took off from Maritime Self-Defense Force escort vessels. The exceptional interoperability was a success.

Next month, President Obama will visit four East Asian countries. He'll start his journey in Japan, and then move on to Korea, the Philippines and Malaysia. All of these countries have current territorial disputes with China. It looks promising that the Obama administration will once again shift its focus toward the allied relationships. I would also like Prime Minister Abe to earnestly engage in these efforts. Historical perception is an entirely different story.

*Editor’s Note: The original quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.