April 23,2015
WHITE HOUSE— Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan begins a visit to Washington next week that U.S. officials say signals a new phase in the decades-old trans-Pacific alliance. Talks between Abe and U.S. leaders will focus on trade and defense in the face of China’s rising influence in the region.
In the 70 years since the U.S. made peace with Japan after World War II, the two have gone from bitter enemies to strong trading partners and close allies.
Threats from a rising China, and Beijing’s claims to islands that Japan considers its own, have made that alliance even closer.
On an April visit to Tokyo, President Obama offered Japan much-welcomed reassurances that the U.S. stands by its treaty commitments to defend Japan.
“Let me reiterate that our treaty commitment to Japan's security is absolute, and Article 5 [of the 1951 US-Japan Security Treaty] covers all territories under Japan's administration, including the Senkaku Islands," he said.
To make the point, the U.S. is preparing a rare, lavish welcome that will include a White House ceremony, a joint news conference, and a state dinner. Abe will be the first Japanese prime minister to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.
“I think one of the things that the U.S. definitely wants to do is to send a strong signal not only to China but also to the rest of the region and to the Japanese people that we value the alliance," said Meredith Miller, an analyst with the National Bureau of Asian Research.
The rising threat from China combined with U.S. military downsizing, and lingering U.S. economic weakness, are feeding the need for reassurances among the Japanese.
The Obama administration has touted a shift of its focus to Asia that goes beyond sending more ships and troops to the region.
Trade is an important component of that rebalance, and now the U.S. wants to show off the progress it is making toward a regional trade deal.
“One high-profile topic on the agenda will be the status of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, and the hope that by raising standards and leveling the playing field, we can secure an agreement that is clearly in the best interest of the United States and American businesses and American workers, but also in a way that fairly is beneficial to the Japanese economy, as well," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
Japan has been moving to boost its self-defense forces, and it’s expected there will be an announcement here updating those guidelines for the first time in 18 years.
It is all part of the process of updating a relationship to cope with a new reality and a new set of challenges in the region.