The US Focus on Asia: “Re-balancing” To Work Toward Stability

President Obama, who entered Tokyo on the 23rd of this month, will be returning home on the 29th after a scheduled tour of Asia, which includes stops in South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, comes to a close.

The purpose of this recent trip abroad is the reconstruction of the Obama administration’s “policies that focus on Asia,” which span across political, military and economic spheres. After the simultaneous terrorist attacks that occurred in 2001, the U.S. has devoted all of its strength to “the war on terror.” The U.S. dropping its initiative in Asian correspondence precipitated the sudden rise of China.

It is for this reason that these policies focusing on Asia are called a “strategic rebalance.” From a security perspective, the aim is to strengthen the alliance between countries such as Japan, South Korea and Australia, as well as using the Trans-Pacific Partnership as a turning point for the creation of a new international order.

However, with the Obama administration now in its second term, and its energy being diverted by problems elsewhere — with chaos in Ukraine, peace in Palestine, civil war in Syria — the felt presence of these Asian-centered policies is fading. It was expected for the president to approach the reconstruction of these policies with a strong ambition to see them through.

Japan declared its continued involvement in TPP negotiations with a joint declaration that was released one day behind schedule. Mr. Obama also declared for the first time in his capacity as President, in no uncertain terms, the U.S.’s obligation to protect the Senkaku Islands, as stated in the fifth article of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.

However, looking at it from the United States’ perspective, the dispute over the Senkaku Islands is merely one part of the larger framework for this “strategic rebalance.” This can also be understood by looking at interactions with Malaysia and the Philippines — countries visited on the second half of the tour. Both countries are in the South China Sea, and both countries are currently engaged in territorial disputes with China.

It had been 48 years since the last U.S. presidential visit to Malaysia. Because the U.S. placed them at such a distance, Malaysia now faces difficulties in TPP negotiations, such as in the preservation of state-owned enterprises. Malaysia’s relationship with China runs deep, and they have reached an agreement to seek a settlement to disputes in the South China Sea through legal means.

The new military pact, signed by both the Philippine and U.S. governments, contains provisions for the return of the U.S. military, which had not been present in the Philippines for 22 years, since the complete military withdrawal in 1992. Presently, the U.S. military is able to use all Philippine bases under visiting U.S. military patrol. The felt presence of U.S. military in occupied areas swells to overwhelming levels.

At the Same Time, Nurturing Trust

The new pact, just in implying that the military balance of the region will actually change, will have an incalculable influence.

With the U.S. merely having made a definitive promise to Japan to protect the Senkaku Islands, China rallied sharply in protest. That the new pact would have such an impact was unexpected, and each step taken from here will garner further attention.

The aim of the U.S. is probably to gain some control over China, as they raise conflicts with neighboring countries in the East and South China Seas. However, the return of the U.S. military to the Philippines may very well serve to further raise tensions in East Asia.

In regards to the new pact, President Obama has clearly conveyed the necessity for resolution via dialogue with China over issues such as disputes in the South China Sea, and emphasized that “Our goal is not to contain China.” And using the same words as when he was in Japan, he delivered a message expressing that, “We welcome China’s peaceful rise.”

If that is the case, then the U.S. has a responsibility to make an effort to follow the appeal it made to Japan, to “not merely escalate the conflict, but take measures to nurture mutual trust.”* While strengthening alliances on the one hand, they need to work hard to stabilize the region.

Allied nations, including Japan, cannot contribute to the stabilization of Asia by merely relying on the United States. That would truly be a “rebalance” that brings about sustainable peace and prosperity in Asia. And the president carrying on that challenge following the conclusion of his tour is of the utmost importance.

*Editor’s note: This quotation, while accurately translated, cannot be verified.