US out to disturb regional security

At the Shangri-la Dialogue on May 29 to 31, the delegates need to discuss more about the complicated situation in Asia-Pacific region as the deepening US-Japan alliance against China raises concerns over regional security.

At a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on April 8, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter highlighted the importance of the US-Japan alliance for Japan's national security, after which the two countries decided to further strengthen the alliance. Asked about the alliance's detailed strategy on the South China Sea issue, Nakatani denied having one and said Japan's Self Defense Forces were not patrolling the region regularly. But Carter defended the special relationship between the US and the Philippines, which has a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, and said they would hold more joint military drills to maintain the status quo. Asserting that territorial rows would not lead to military incidents, he said the US was not taking sides in the maritime disputes.

The Guidelines for US-Japan Defense Cooperation, the first revised version since 1997, was published on April 27 and says Japan will have the right to exercise collective self-defense, that is, it will defend not just its own territory, but also that of the US and other countries, if necessary. And although the guidelines don't mention China, they have spurred anti-China remarks and activities, especially in the South China Sea. And the common aspirations of the US and Japan and the legal basis to expand Japan's military force deserve special attention.