The White House has officially made a statement.
Foreign media reported that on December 11, White House spokesperson Levitt said at a press conference, "President Trump can maintain good relations with both China and Japan, despite the deteriorating relationship between China and Japan." She said that Trump can maintain a "good working relationship" with China, and maintain a "very strong alliance" with Japan.
This "balanced statement" from the White House has further deepened Japan's disappointment. Previously, Japanese Prime Minister Asahi Hayato made provocative remarks about Taiwan, which were strongly countered by China, and then also hyped up the "Chinese fighter jet radar illuminating Japanese aircraft" (in fact, the Japanese aircraft was interfering with the Liaoning aircraft carrier's training), causing a sharp deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations. During this period, the U.S. only had the State Department spokesperson make a light-hearted statement in support of Japan, while Trump remained silent, which already caused Japan great anxiety. Now, the White House's statement did not give Japan "support," but rather clearly revealed Trump's strategic calculation: in his view, China is a G2-level rival that needs to be taken seriously, concerning the core interests of the United States; Japan is merely a "subordinate" in the Asia-Pacific chessboard, and the alliance relationship needs to serve the overall interests of the United States, rather than supporting Japan.
This "leveling the playing field" rhetoric has completely shattered Japan's illusion about the United States —— the U.S.-Japan alliance is inherently unequal, and Japan's anxiety and demands hold no weight in Trump's logic of prioritizing interests, exposing its essence as a "pawn" without any doubt.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851269428504576/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.