安倍军事野心获美支持 邻国 [Read: China and S Korea] 或感不安

choi

Yuka Hayashi, 安倍军事野心获美支持 邻国或感不安. 华尔街日报中文版, Apr 22, 2014
cn.wsj.com/gb/20140422/bas164420.asp

, which is translated from

Yuka Hayashi, Abe's Military Push May Please US but Rattle Neighbors; Obama visit comes as Japan re-examines constitutional constraints on military. Wall Street Journal, Apr 23, 2014 (available now).
online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304049904579516803544613502

Quote:

"Mr Abe wants to change the government's interpretation of the constitution to allow for 'collective self-defense'—meaning the military could come to the defense of allies such as the US even if the country itself wasn't attacked. In theory, the changes would enable Japan to shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile heading toward the U.S. or fire at a Chinese warship scuffling with an Australian cruiser.

"Pentagon officials have encouraged Mr Abe's efforts, arguing that Tokyo needs to do more to balance China's investment in its armed forces.

"And several Southeast Asian nations, which have their own territorial disputes with China, are willing or even eager to see Japan and the US build stronger security ties.

"Shi Yinhong, an international relations scholar at Renmin University in Beijing, said, 'What matters is the U.S. attitude. The Americans have welcomed this [change], which will increase tensions in East Asia.'

"Within Japan itself, a majority of voters oppose changing the constitutional interpretation, according to polls. Since the creation of the Self-Defense Forces in the 1950s, Japan's military has stuck to a narrow mission of defending the nation, and the idea of Japanese forces fighting elsewhere in Asia—even if it is to help allies like the US—remains unpopular.

"US officials have repeatedly said the American commitment to defend Japan in a conflict is ironclad.

"The White House on Monday [Apr 21, 2014] endorsed Japan's efforts toward military re-evaluation. 'Japan plays an important role in encouraging and bringing about peace and security in the Asia-Pacific and globally, and we encourage and support all efforts for Japan to do that,' said Evan Medeiros, senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council. Mr Obama's [trip to Tokyo will have] the formalities of a state visit—the first by a US president to Japan since Bill Clinton in 1996. The ceremonies, including multiple visits with Emperor Akihito, may smooth over frictions that grew last December, when Mr Abe went to a contentious war shrine.

"'To many US observers, Abe brings both positive and negative qualities to the alliance, at once bolstering it but also renewing historical animosities that could disturb the regional security environment,' wrote researchers of the Congressional Research Service in a February report.


Note: "Shigeru ISHIBA, a top ruling party official and former defense minister"

石破 茂 (1957- ; 自民党幹事長 (2012- ), 衆議院議員 (1986- ), 防衛大臣 (2007-2008), 国務大臣防衛庁長官 (2002-2004))   (He is tipped to be heir to prime minister Abe.)
(a) The Chinese pronunciation in Japan for 破 is “ha,” which is softened to “ba” when it is preceded by another syllable--in the same way Americans, but not Britons or Spanish speakers, pronounce the FIRST “i” in “California” same as “u” in “cut.”
(b) Take notice 国務大臣防衛庁長官 was abolished in January 2007, replaced by 防衛大臣 (minister of defense) as head of 防衛省.