TOKYO, Apr 24: Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe were today discussing the future shape of the Japan-US security alliance as they met for talks at the start of the president’s tour of a tense Asia.
Both men praised the alliance, which Obama called the “foundation” of stability in the Asia-Pacific, a region where Tokyo and Beijing are facing off over territory, North Korea is threatening a nuclear test and Japan and South Korea are squabbling over history.
The “US-Japan alliance is the foundation not only for our security in the Asia-Pacific region but also for the region as a whole,” the visiting US president said ahead of a formal summit.
“Our shared democratic values mean that we have to work together in multilateral settings, to deal with regional hot spots around the globe but also to try to make sure we are creating a strong set of rules that govern the international order.”
The elephant in the room was China, which Japan and other Western-leaning countries say is throwing its weight around in pursuit of territorial claims in the East and South China Seas.
Along with Manila — the fourth stop on Obama’s tour — Tokyo craves reassurance that the US is prepared to back it if push comes to shove with Beijing over their separate sovereignty rows.
Japan appeared set for a dose of soothing balm, after it was reported that the joint statement to be released after the summit will explicitly say the Senkaku Islands are covered by the agreement that obliges Washington to come to Tokyo’s aid if attacked.
That would come on top of a newspaper interview Obama gave in which he said the US would oppose any “unilateral attempts to undermine Japan’s administration” of the islands. (AGENCIES)
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