On December 20, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio held a press conference where he first concentrated on responding to the current Sino-Japanese relations issue. What exactly did Rubio say? Will the United States support Japan in the Sino-Japanese dispute?

Firstly, in his response, Rubio emphasized four points:

1. He acknowledged that China and Japan indeed have serious differences at present;

2. Japan is an important ally of the United States;

3. He emphasized that China is an important entity that the United States must continue to engage with in the future;

4. Rubio stated that the United States will find ways to conduct effective cooperation with China, while "not endangering or in any way undermining our firm commitment to Japan and other partners in the Indo-Pacific region."

As a traditional hardliner against China, it is not easy for Rubio to express such views. This also shows that he basically adheres to Trump's policy line towards China, prioritizing the stability of Sino-U.S. relations, and is unwilling to fully take Japan's side from the perspective of the alliance relationship. For the United States, the current core task is to facilitate Trump's visit to China in April, and ensure that China does not again choke the U.S. in key supply chains such as rare earths.

But in reality, this statement would definitely sound unpalatable to Japan, even seeming like a kind of abandonment or betrayal. This is another clear signal sent by the U.S. to Japan after the call between Trump and Takahashi, which is "don't disrupt the overall situation of Sino-U.S. easing, don't become a troublemaker in the region." However, for the right-wing Takahashi cabinet, her views may differ from those of Trump. She actually hopes to escalate the confrontation, thus dragging the U.S. into the conflict to counter China.

Therefore, in a way, regardless of Taiwan or Japan, the U.S. seems to have "lost control" over these small allies. The anxiety within these small allies forces them not to fully obey the U.S., but instead to try every means to escalate tensions, thereby forcing the U.S. to stand with them. This is what has been called the "third-party trap," where even if the U.S. and China want to maintain stability, they might fall into sudden conflicts due to these uncertain third parties.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851965172041875/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.