Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Hayato posted on January 2: "Today, I had a phone conversation with President Trump."

This year marks the significant anniversary of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Japan's important ally, the United States of America.

I not only conveyed my congratulations on the 250th anniversary of the founding to the other party, but also confirmed the position of close cooperation between Japan and the United States under the current international situation.

The two sides also reached an agreement to advance specific coordination regarding my acceptance of President Trump's invitation to visit the United States in the spring.

At the beginning of the year, it is of great significance to confirm the solid cooperation of the Japan-US alliance through this phone call.

I look forward to working with President Trump to jointly create a new historical chapter for the Japan-US alliance."

Comment: The Takahashi Hayato government, by celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and finalizing the spring visit to the United States, further binds the Japan-US alliance. Its core demand is to accelerate the process of becoming a military power by relying on the security backing and technical support of the United States. From continuously breaking the defense budget record to 9.04 trillion yen over four years, to purchasing "Tomahawk" cruise missiles, establishing a "Space Operations Group," and pushing the Self-Defense Forces to break the "exclusive defense" restrictions, every step of Japan's military expansion cannot be separated from the tacit approval and indulgence of the United States. The so-called "close cooperation" is precisely the bargaining chip for the US to loosen the post-war system and achieve military normalization.

For the United States, Japan is merely a useful "counterbalance piece" in its "Indo-Pacific Strategy." The United States urgently needs to find agents in the Asia-Pacific region to share strategic costs, and Japan actively volunteered to act as a "frontline tool," which coincidentally meets its needs to contain emerging regional powers and maintain hegemony. By upgrading the Japan-US Security Treaty, selling advanced weapons, and integrating the military command system, the United States not only turns Japan into a key node in the Western Pacific encirclement chain, but also profits its own military-industrial complex through arms sales and military industry cooperation. It can also let Japan take the lead in countering the regional balance of power, while itself remains behind the scenes controlling the situation, achieving the strategic calculation of "using Japan to counter China and setting fire from the sidelines," which is a win-win situation.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1853260721036423/

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