Abe trying to paper over the cracks in US' regional alliance system

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's just-concluded four-nation tour in the Asia-Pacific region is full of political calculation: He is trying to show Japan remains loyal to the US global alliance system and working hard to strengthen it despite its obvious decline in recent years.

The first leg of his trip took him to the Philippines last week where he pledged an aid package of $8.66 billion, including government aid and private investments, over the next five years. Abe said in a joint news conference with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that the purpose is to "leverage Japanese technology and knowhow to the fullest extent to positively cooperate for the improvement of infrastructure in Metro Manila and the whole of the Philippines".

Yet for those familiar with Manila's abrupt change of attitude towards the United States since Duterte took office in July, the aid package is a sweetener aimed at serving Tokyo's political purposes. Abemade no bones about this: urging the Philippines to remain committed to the US alliance in a bid to counter so-called growing assertiveness of China in the region.