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Chinese language Minister of Tradition Luo Shugang and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts Yoshimasa Hayashi and Do Jong-whan attended the ninth China-Japan-ROK Cultural Ministers’ Assembly on Aug 26, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] |
Japan and the Republic of Korea, each US allies, watched carefully how the opposite hosted US President Donald Trump when he visited the 2 international locations final week. In contrast along with his one-night keep in Seoul, Trump’s three-day go to to Tokyo gave Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extra time to tee off and speak with the US president.
Additionally, the information that Trump and Abe have reached a consensus on constructing a free and honest “Indo-Pacific area” made some ROK newspapers speculate whether or not Seoul’s diplomatic affect was waning.
Days earlier than her father’s first Asia go to as US president, Ivanka Trump visited Tokyo to handle the World Meeting for Girls. Abe stood on the doorstep of a restaurant for 13 minutes simply to provide her a deal with, and pledged $50 million to a ladies’s entrepreneurship fund initiated by Ivanka. The ROK media jeered Abe for paying such “obeisance” to Trump and his daughter.
Throughout his go to, Trump addressed Abe by his first identify, Shinzo, displaying a detailed private bond between them, which Japanese officers and media most well-liked to name the “honeymoon” bond. All through Trump’s keep, the 2 exhibited their “bromance”, heaping lavish reward upon one another as exchanging fist-bumps on the green and informed the world at their joint press convention that Tokyo and Washington “have by no means been nearer”.
The 2 leaders stated their international locations’ alliance is “unshakable”, though Trump made no bones about Japan’s “large” commerce surplus, almost $70 billion final yr, and stated he was dedicated to establishing a “honest, free and reciprocal” buying and selling relationship with Japan.
After Trump landed in Seoul, it was Japan’s flip to look at the proceedings.
Tokyo protested towards the invitees to the banquet ROK President Moon Jae-in hosted for Trump on Tuesday evening. The explanation: an 88-year-old visitor was one of many few surviving “consolation ladies”, a euphemism for the tens of hundreds of girls, largely from Asian international locations, compelled to function intercourse slaves of Japanese troopers earlier than and through World Battle II. Japanese Chief Cupboard Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated the “consolation girl” shouldn’t have been invited as a result of Japan and the ROK reached an settlement in 2015 to “lastly and irreversibly” settle the problem.
Japan was not comfortable additionally as a result of the shrimps served on the banquet had been from the waters off a pair of islets which are on the middle of a dispute between the 2 international locations. They’re generally known as Dokdo within the ROK and Takeshima in Japan.
On condition that higher coordination among the many United States, Japan and the ROK is required to cope with the Democratic Folks’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear challenge, and that Trump selected Japan and the ROK as the primary stops on his Asia go to, Suga stated there’s a must keep away from making strikes that might weaken the “shut coordination” among the many three sides.
Trump’s go to to the ROK has as soon as once more delivered to the fore the frictions between the US’ two allies. And Trump on his half, earlier than leaving the ROK, tweeted that his go to to Japan and friendship with Abe will yield many advantages for the US whereas highlighting the “large navy and vitality orders” he expects.
Trump’s expectation will probably be an excellent excuse for Japan to enlarge its protection finances, which has risen yearly since Abe returned to energy in December 2012. Japan has already determined to buy 42 F-35 plane and introduce the expanded “Aegis Ashore” ground-based protection system. Subsequent yr, it would improve its Mid-Time period Protection Program for 2019-23.
Each Japan and the ROK wish to strengthen their respective alliance with the US. And a few consultants say it’s time the US, Japan and the ROK constructed up a navy alliance, too, which Moon has dismissed. The feud between Tokyo and Seoul will solely make that much more tough.
The writer is China Each day Tokyo bureau chief.
caihong@chinadaily.com.cn
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