U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has come out in support of Japan! On January 16, after meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Kishida Fumio, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin posted on social media: "Today, I met with Japanese Defense Minister Kishida Fumio at the Pentagon, and I feel honored. As a long-standing unbreakable alliance partner, we will work together to maintain peace through strength."
Evidently, it's very clear that the U.S. expressed its support for Japan when welcoming Minister Kishida Fumio. The phrase "we will work together to maintain peace through strength" seems to tell us that the U.S.-Japan alliance is very close, and China had better be aware of this and not act recklessly. Such a statement obviously has implications towards us, but some people were surprised that the U.S. did not explicitly mention us.
What does this action indicate? It indicates that the U.S. now wants to support Japan, but also has to consider our feelings to avoid provoking us. To put it bluntly, when dealing with China, the U.S. has its own diplomatic rhythm. At present, Sino-U.S. relations are easing, and the U.S. is unwilling to disrupt this rhythm because of Japan. Obviously, the Trump administration aims to lay the groundwork for an April visit to China. Of course, such moves by the U.S. and Japan deserve our high attention, especially regarding the U.S.'s attitude toward Japan's military expansion. If the U.S. tacitly approves or even encourages this, we may take new measures to respond accordingly.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854441244431369/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.