Rush to Rebuild Japan-U.S. Alliance

What can be done to rebuild the relationship between Japan and the U.S., which has grown stagnant since the new administration was installed in the fall of 2009? Needless to say, the re-establishment of these relations — on which our foreign affairs and security rely — is Japan’s first priority.

If you listen to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, it is clear that he wants to focus on the Japan-U.S. alliance. “The pillar will be Japan-U.S. relations,” the prime minister said at a press conference immediately after his inauguration, and he repeated such principles in the first cabinet meeting. On the other hand, “win-win relations” will be the goal in regards to China and South Korea.

This direction is correct. The prime minister will attend the U.N. General Assembly in late September in New York, where he plans to meet with President Obama. I expect them to confirm such plans as fixing and strengthening the alliance that has been damaged since the Hatoyama administration.

Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan did engage quite well in verbal diplomacy. The reason for the fluctuating alliance is that he postponed almost all necessary actions despite his remarks emphasizing the alliance.

What succeeding Prime Minister Noda needs is not words, but visible actions to deepen the alliance. The question is what actions, specifically.

The most important principle is the joint statement declared at the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (2+2) in June.

In the statement, the two governments set a goal to “encourage China’s responsible and constructive role in regional stability and prosperity, its cooperation on global issues, and its adherence to international norms of behavior,” and agreed on measures to achieve such an objective. These include making action plans in emergency situations and expanding joint training operations.

Many of these measures can be advanced on a practical level. The prime minister will clearly instruct the office and at once make adjustments with the U.S. administration.

To re-establish Japan-U.S. relations, the issue of moving the Futenma Air Station cannot be avoided. Left alone, the resettlement plan may be ignored, and the current location of the base — surrounded by densely populated neighborhoods and schools — may become permanent.

That would be the worst scenario for the locals. Prime Minister Noda needs to openly explain this issue to the government of Okinawa. Then together, they need to seek a last-minute breakthrough to avoid such an outcome.

Japan also faces stagnant relations with China and Russia. In overcoming these difficulties, a strong alliance with the United States will be valuable. China and Russia will see the U.S. behind Japan.

If reinforcing the Japan-U.S. alliance means alarming China and Russia too rapidly, tensions in Asia will increase. Therefore, in order to prevent this, talks with China and Russia must be accelerated simultaneously.