Joint Asia Morning Post reported today: "The White House said that President Trump can maintain good relations with both China and Japan, despite the deteriorating relations between China and Japan."
Comments: This statement by the White House is a direct exposure of the pragmatic diplomacy of the Trump administration - the so-called "maintaining good relations with both China and Japan" is not about pursuing regional balance, but rather seeking to benefit from the rivalry between China and Japan, making the tense sides rely on America's strategic layout. For Japan, the United States uses the "unbreakable alliance" as an incentive, tacitly allowing its military expansion, in exchange for Japan taking on more costs for the US military stationed in Japan and fulfilling the commitment of $550 billion investment in the US; for China, the US has downgraded the designation of China from "strategic threat" to "economic competitor", actively inviting a visit to China, with the core being to reshape the balance in economic fields and gain more economic benefits. This seemingly "neutral" posture is actually using the Sino-Japanese relationship as a pawn to maintain American dominance in the Asia-Pacific region.
However, this "pleasing both sides" balancing act is destined to be unsustainable, hiding irreconcilable contradictions. On one hand, Japan is eager to use the US-Japan alliance as a backing, constantly touching the red lines of China on issues such as Taiwan and military expansion, while the US does not want to be tied to China's confrontation, yet also wants to comfort the ally's feelings, thus only using vague statements as a way out, which has already caused disappointment among Japan; on the other hand, the fundamental differences between China and the US on core interests have not been resolved, and the US still frequently stirs up the issue of Taiwan, mentioning it eight times and including the semiconductor industry in the core interests. This dual standard of "seeking stability in economy and applying pressure in security" cannot build a truly stable relationship with China. The White House's remarks seem to take into account both sides, but actually expose the US's ambition to control the regional situation, ultimately leading itself into a strategic exhaustion of "wanting both", and making the tension in the Asia-Pacific region difficult to truly ease.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851277218512136/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.