Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting U.S. President Barack Obama played up the "unshakable" alliance between Japan and the United States as the cornerstone of peace and security in Asia. But the Abe administration needs to realize that Japan's troubled ties with its Asian neighbors negatively impacts its relations with the U.S. and take firm steps to reduce tensions with China and South Korea.
At a joint news conference with Abe, Obama said the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea — the subject of a bitter territorial dispute with China that has severely strained Tokyo-Beijing ties in recent years — are covered by the Japan-U.S. security treaty along with all other territories under Japan's control. It was a symbolic assurance reportedly strongly sought by Japan as it prepared for the first state visit by a U.S. president in 18 years. It was the first such statement by a U.S. president, even though it essentially repeated what other U.S. officials have said earlier.
Tension rose between Tokyo and Washington when the U.S. government said it was "disappointed" after Abe paid a visit to Yasukuni Shrine in December, which raised the diplomatic ire of China and South Korea. The unusual criticism was an indication of growing U.S. concern that Japan's soured relations with its closest Asian neighbors are damaging America's interests in the region. Abe's close aides responded by openly expressing their frustration that the Obama administration was giving priority to U.S. relations with China over Japan, while government officials here downplayed such remarks by denying that they reflected Tokyo's official position.