Japan out to rival US
Soon after US President Barack Obama was sworn in for a second term, Washington organized several high-level visits by officials to East Asia, including China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Among the US officials who visited the region recently are Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew, Secretary of State John Kerry, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.
The US hopes to maintain its dominant position in the Asia-Pacific region by consolidating its military alliance with the Republic of Korea and strengthening Japan's position in territorial disputes with China.
Washington has sent some positive messages for China, though. Kerry has said that the US and the rest of the world have benefited from a stable and prosperous China. During his recent visit to Beijing, Kerry called for a "special relationship" with China and said: "China is a great power with a great ability to affect events in the world. And we need to work together to do that".
