Blog von Diplom-Betriebswirt Helmut Zermin: Kan Backs U.S. Military Role in Asia

Kan Backs U.S. Military Role in Asia - WSJ.com

YOKOHAMA, Japan—Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan signaled to U.S. president Barack Obama his government's strong desire to deepen the bilateral security alliance, admitting that recent territorial scuffles with China and Russia have made Japan reaffirm the importance of U.S. military presence in the nation.

In his clearest display of commitment to the bilateral relationship since taking office in June, the prime minister thanked Mr. Obama for Washington's support of Tokyo throughout its recent conflicts with the two increasingly powerful neighbors. The two leaders met for a one-hour session Saturday morning on the sidelines of a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Asia-Pacific leaders start talks on freeing up regional trade amid friction over currencies and geo-political rivalries. Video courtesy of Reuters.

"I'd like to point out that in Japan and in other nations in the region, people, including myself, have renewed our understanding that the presence of the U.S. and the presence of the U.S. military are becoming increasingly important to maintain peace and stability in the region," Mr. Kan said.

With such a remark, however, Mr. Kan risks complicating Japan's effort to mend its relations with China and Russia, strained amid renewed and separate territorial disputes since September.

Photos: Obama Tours Asia

President Barack Obama began a 10-day trip through Asia.

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President Barack Obama attends the Leaders Retreat at the APEC summit.

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Even as Mr. Kan enjoys the spotlight as he hosts his first international gathering this weekend, the bilateral tensions cast a dark shadow in the background.

In their brief bilateral meeting Saturday evening, Messrs. Hu and Kan reiterated their nation's respective positions on the ongoing territorial row, according to a Japanese government official who briefed reporters following the 22-minute meeting.

Mr. Kan said Sunday that he reiterated to Chinese President Hu Jintao during talks the day before that Japan's basic stance is that disputed islands in the East China Sea are an "integral part" of Japan.

"We made clear our basic position is that there is no territorial dispute in this region," Kan said in a news conference after the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

But Mr. Kan said he was able to coax the relationship with China back to where it was when he took office in June, suggesting a possible thaw in ties between the two countries.

The meeting was the result of days of effort by Japanese officials to get Mr. Hu to sit down with Mr. Kan for proper talks.

Sino-Japanese relations in recent weeks have deteriorated to the worst they have been in years after Japan arrested a Chinese sea captain whose fishing trawler rammed into Japanese coast guard ships in disputed waters in the East China Sea.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kan's bilateral meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev started with two leaders exchanging sharp words on a renewed territorial spat started with Mr. Medvedev's recent visit to one of the islands claimed by both Russia and Japan in the Russian Far East. Mr. Kan said the visit was "unacceptable" to the feelings of the Japanese people, prompting Mr. Medvedev to counter that the territorial issue was also "extremely sensitive" for Russia, according to Japanese officials who attended the meeting.

Still, the two leaders agreed to continue their bilateral dialogues to enhance cooperation in various areas, particularly in economic development. Mr. Kan said Japan wants to resolve the territorial discord and sign a peace treaty with Russia, a necessary step to fully normalize their bilateral ties for the first time since World War II.

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European Pressphoto Agency

Obama headed for a cultural event after being welcomed by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his wife Nobuko.

In responding to Mr. Kan's appreciation of the bilateral relationship, Mr. Obama called it "the foundation of our security and our prosperity." He also noted that the two nations are "deepening our economic relationship," mentioning an open skies agreement that goes into effect Saturday.

In the wake of his endorsement of a permanent seat for India on the United Nations Security Council, Mr. Obama reiterated Washington's longstanding view that "Japan is the model of the kind of country we would like to see as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council."

To solve a deadlock over a controversial U.S. military base in the southern island of Okinawa, Mr. Kan said he would make his utmost effort to implement the latest bilateral agreement to build a new relocation facility after a gubernatorial election in Okinawa on Nov. 28.

Underscoring the strong bilateral ties, the two leaders signed a raft of new bilateral agreements, calling for joint efforts in reducing nuclear risks, promoting energy efficiency and strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship. Amid concerns that declines in the number of young Japanese studying and working in the U.S. would lead to eventual weakening of bilateral ties, the two nations also agreed to roll out programs aimed at promoting exchanges of students and teachers from the two nations.

Mr. Kan also said Sunday he had been asked by existing and potential members of a trans-Pacific free trade pact, or TPP, to decide soon whether Japan will join.

"Many of the TPP nations asked me to decide at the earliest possible time whether to participate in the pact" during their meeting earlier in the day, Kan said. "From Japan's standpoint, it is not yet a time to decide whether to take part in it or not."

—Jonathan Weisman, Takashi Nakamichi, Lisa Twaronite and Kana Ikagaki contributed to this report.

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