Will the Senkaku Islands Receive Any Attention at the US-Japan Summit?

Published in Liberty Times
(Taiwan) on 19 April 2014
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Drew Machowicz. Edited by Tess Chadwick.
Japanese media reports that U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Japan next week on April 24 for a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. After the summit, it is expected that they will issue a joint statement emphasizing the alliance between the U.S. and Japan, but the statement is not expected to directly touch on the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands.

Obama is scheduled to visit Japan from April 23–25, and the summit will take place on the 24th, when they will issue a joint statement.

Asahi Shimbun reported that many issues have arisen since Obama’s 2010 visit to Japan, including an increase in mainland China’s military forces, the continued development of nuclear weapons in North Korea, and the current tense situation in Ukraine. Obama and Abe will discuss not only the strengthening of U.S.-Japan security cooperation, but also how to increase cooperation in the greater Asia-Pacific region.

It is also reported that the dispute over sovereignty has led to rising tensions between Japan and mainland China. Japan is looking forward to U.S. cooperation in dealing with mainland China; however, it also wants to take into consideration the ideas of the U.S. The U.S. and Japan have signed a joint statement that is not country specific and is not limited to security issues.

According to sources, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has already stated his views on the matter earlier this month while visiting Japan. And the U.S. position on the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands is already stated in the U.S.-Japan security treaty, so Obama is not necessarily reaffirming anything by the joint statement.

But the U.S. is currently deliberating on the possibility of adding the phrase, “No change of the status quo is allowed through force or coercion,” to highlight the importance of international social order.

According to reports from Yomiuri Shimbun, Obama and Abe are proposing support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in order to enhance the capacity of each country to monitor the oceans and to facilitate an agreement on the topic.

The U.S. and Japan are considering providing ASEAN countries with patrol boats and training of the coast guard and related personnel. They also want to establish an information-sharing framework to cope with pirates and other unknown ships and boats. It is expected that these elements will be included in the U.S.-Japan joint statement.

A Japanese government official said if ASEAN countries enhanced marine monitoring capabilities, it would help the U.S. and Japan — especially in Vietnam and the Philippines because of confrontation in the South China Sea over the issue of sovereignty with mainland China. The U.S. and Japan are planning on assisting the coast guard to enhance the ability of these countries to contain mainland China.


〔中央社〕日本媒體報導,美國總統歐巴馬下週訪問日本,24日與日本首相安倍晉三舉行高峰會後擬發表共同文件,強調美日同盟關係,但預料不會直接碰觸釣魚台。
歐巴馬預定23至25日訪日,24日與安倍舉行高峰會並發表共同文件。
「朝日新聞」報導,自歐巴馬2010年訪日後,因中國大陸軍事崛起、北韓發展核武,加上當前烏克蘭局勢緊張,歐巴馬與安倍不僅要討論美日加強安保合作,也將商討如何促成亞太地區更廣泛合作。
報導指出,因釣魚台主權爭議導致陸日關係緊張,日本雖有人期盼美國能更明確表示與日本合作對付中國大陸,但也要顧及美國的想法,美日簽署的共同文件不會特別針對某國,也不會僅限於安保課題。
有關人士透露,美國國防部長黑格於本月上旬訪日時已表態,釣魚台適用美日安保條約,這已說明美國的立場,歐巴馬沒必要又藉著共同文件重申。
但美國正在研議寫入「不允許以武力改變現狀」的可能性,以凸顯國際社會秩序的重要性。
而「讀賣新聞」則報導,歐巴馬與安倍擬就支援東南亞國協(ASEAN),以提升各國海洋監督能力達成協議。
美日考慮提供東南亞國協國家巡邏船、培養與沿岸警備有關的人才、建立與東協的資訊共享架構,以因應海盜船、不明船隻等。預料這些內容將載於美日共同文件。
日本政府相關人士表示,東南亞國協各國提升海洋監督能力,有助美日。尤其是越南、菲律賓因南海主權問題與中國大陸對峙,美日擬協助這兩國提升沿岸警備能力,以牽制中國大陸。
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