America’s New Asia Strategy

It means a lot when the U.S., as a “Pacific nation,” declares its strategy to focus on diplomacy, security and economic policy in this pivotal region.

In an address given in Australia, U.S. President Obama ranked the Asia-Pacific as the most important region to the U.S. and expressed his plan to expand his country’s long-term role here.

As the 10-year war on terror moves toward a close, America is removing more of its military forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, and it is becoming possible for them to strengthen their presence throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The president promised that this is the only region that would be unaffected by cuts to defense spending aimed at reducing the budget deficit.

We can welcome America’s new strategy to contribute to the region’s safety and prosperity. The importance of the role of the Japan-U.S. alliance will grow.

Lurking behind this new strategy is a growing China, which is rearing its head militarily and economically. The expansion of the Chinese military changes the safety of the environment of the region. China’s claim to territory in the South China Sea is a “core interest” of theirs, and it’s causing discord among Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam.

This summer, in the chronological report of China’s military strength, the U.S. Department of Defense bluntly warned that China’s progressing development of a ballistic missile known as the “aircraft carrier killer” and its strategy of “denying approach” is preventing the development of U.S. aircraft carriers in the western Pacific.

The U.S.-Australia agreement to station the U.S. Marine Corps in Australia is a measure in reaction to this changing security environment. The Marines will be stationed at an Australian army base in Darwin, and their numbers will expand to 2,500 in the future.

U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa and South Korea are already within range of Chinese ballistic missiles. Guaranteeing a mobilization point out of range strengthens deterrence.

China has become the world’s second largest economy behind the U.S., but it is far from acting responsibly. It has raised the price of the yuan too slowly and ignores intellectual property rights by not stopping the manufacture of pirated goods.

President Obama’s insistence on pursuing an international economic system based on clear “free and fair trade” rules which protect international order through “international laws and customs, freedom of transportation and commerce” is correct. It is necessary to persistently press China to act in accordance with international norms.

In terms of maintaining the Asia-Pacific’s prosperity, the U.S. and Japan have common issues affecting their growth strategies. Let’s strengthen U.S.-Japan cooperation through the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations for the stability of the region.