Obama, Hatoyama to focus beyond US’ military presence

Obama`s Japan trip gives the US President a chance to forge closer ties with newly-installed government in Tokyo.

Barack Obama has begun his first visit to Asia as the US President. He arrived in Tokyo on November 13, kick-starting his week-long trip, which will also take him to Singapore, China and South Korea.

Obama had to delay the start of his visit to Asia to attend a memorial service for soldiers killed in a mass shooting at Fort Hood military base in Texas. The visit is a chance for Obama to forge closer ties with Japan’s newly-installed government. A number of issues, ranging from US military bases in Japan, non-proliferation to Afghanistan and climate change, are expected to come up between the two leaders. The trip is believed to be very significant in the wake of the ongoing tensions between Tokyo and Washington over the issue of relocation of US military bases in Japan. In fact, the trip is seen as Obama’s golden chance to strengthen US-Japan ties to counter China’s rise. Further, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and the preacher of nuclear-free world has also upset city authorities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by refusing to visit the sites of the atomic bomb attacks during his trip. In an exclusive interview with Kamna Arora of Zeenews.com, Sheila A Smith, expert on Japanese politics and foreign policy, discusses Obama’s upcoming visit to Japan and US-Japan ties. Sheila A Smith is senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Kamna: Japan’s new government wants to reassess the core policies related to the US’ military presence in the country, leaving Washington highly concerned. How should Obama proceed to pacify Japan’s new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on this issue? Smith: I think the summit meeting on Friday between President Obama and Prime Minister Hatoyama will be focused on a broad agenda, and thus will go beyond the US’ military presence there. Nonetheless, the extent of the new government`s interest in revising core policies will be gauged by observers here. There are too many conflicting signals at the moment for a clear understanding. Kamna: Is Japan’s announcement to give Afghanistan up to USD 5 billion in new aid a step to please Obama before his visit? Smith: The Japanese government has been an active global player trying to stabilise Afghanistan. This announcement of new aid adds to an already considerable amount of economic assistance provided by Tokyo. The ending of Japan`s refuelling mission in the Indian Ocean prompted the new government to consider alternative ways to complement its ongoing effort. Kamna: What do you think will be the overall future of the five-decade-old US-Japan ties as both face the challenge of China`s rising economic and military clout? Smith: This is a critical question. The US and Japan are at an important juncture. They must consider how their alliance serves contemporary needs - both Japanese and American. I hope that the President and Prime Minister can set in motion a new examination of how the two countries can better organise themselves for the transformations afoot - including the rise of China and India. My sense is that the partnership has tremendous potential - perhaps even more than during the Cold War alliance system that everyone seems to want to cherish. Today`s challenges - global economic management, climate change, non-proliferation, and pandemic disease - all require collective action and require the kind of skills and resources that Japan and the US can offer. We are underestimating the impact this partnership could have - regionally and globally - if we focus solely on its military aspects.