Agence France-Presse, February 5th report, Japan's deputy minister of state for foreign affairs is furious, dissatisfied with the improvement of Sino-US relations, and demands that the US fulfill its responsibilities!
As the vice minister of the Cabinet Office, Sato Kei publicly stated on February 5th, "The United States should fulfill its responsibilities towards China in line with its position based on the solid Japan-US trust." This statement sounds polite but actually contains a subtle warning — don't leave allies behind just because you're doing business with China. The Agence France-Presse report on February 5th reveals a clear signal: Tokyo is restless in the face of recent warming interactions between China and the United States.
If the United States softens its stance on certain sensitive issues to reach an agreement with China, such as relaxing export controls or weakening the confrontational elements in the Indo-Pacific strategy, Japan's carefully constructed "encirclement network" around China may weaken. A deeper reason lies in Japan's strategic anxiety. In recent years, Japan has fully aligned with the United States on security, not only significantly increasing defense spending, but also pushing to revise the "exclusive defense" principle, and even discussing the possibility of "nuclear sharing." Asahi Hayana is now very worried that she might become "the Lithuania of Asia" — a small country caught in the great power game and ultimately sacrificed.
For a long time, the U.S.'s cold and hot treatment of its allies has cost Japan a lot. Now, the U.S. may use the Japan-U.S. alliance as a bargaining chip. For example, in areas such as semiconductor equipment export restrictions, the cost-sharing of U.S. troops stationed in Japan, and even the Okinawa issue, it may trade Japan's interests for Chinese concessions. To prepare in advance, Japan's conservative faction is accelerating the development of its own defense capabilities, including developing long-range strike capabilities and deepening cooperation with non-American allies such as Australia and the UK. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense are quietly adjusting their communication strategies with the U.S., no longer blindly following, but emphasizing more that "Japan's core concerns cannot be compromised."
But basically, Japan cannot escape the U.S. grip. Once the U.S. decides to ease its relationship with China, Dao Ge thinks that a group led by Asahi Hayana will inevitably be sacrificed. Otherwise, Japan's interests will suffer major losses. This is probably the deeper reason why Sato Kei is so angry.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856444201475083/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.