Finding balance in Tokyo diplomacy a challenge for Obama

Although Tokyo is ready to welcome the first state visit by a US president in 18 years to manifest the solid US-Japan alliance, observers said leaders of the two states will battle negative undercurrents that could undermine their firm relationship.

President Barack Obama will arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday, kicking off a weeklong trip to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. The tour is a makeup for a visit he canceled last fall because of the US government shutdown.

Tokyo had sought for months for Washington to affirm Japan's special-ally status by agreeing to make the visit a state occasion with accompanying ceremony.

Obama will spend two nights in Tokyo. In a departure from the usual practice of staying at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, which is the Japanese state guesthouse, Obama chose a five-star hotel near the US embassy.

Analysts said that in addition to consolidating the US-Japan alliance and pushing for a breakthrough in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will try to soothe US concerns that his conservative push to recast Tokyo's war record with a less-apologetic tone is overshadowing his pragmatic policies on the economy and security.

Obama, on the other hand, must counter worries in Japan that his commitment to its defense is weak, Reuters said.

Tokyo proposed releasing a leaders' statement clearly saying that Washington must help it defend the Diaoyu Islands, Kyodo reported. However, the White House was unwilling to mention the islands by name because it did not want to unnecessarily irritate Beijing, the report said.

Lyu Yaodong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "With the solving of island disputes with neighbors on top of its agenda, Japan will do what it takes to curry more US support in security."

Wang Xinsheng, a professor of Japanese studies at Peking University, said that with his hands full over issues such as domestic affairs and the crisis in Ukraine, Obama will prioritize stabilizing the Asia-Pacific during this visit instead of stirring tensions.

"Obama will have to seek a cautious balance between further security commitment with Tokyo and the growing new type of major-country relationship with Beijing," Wang said.

Ties were strained after Abe paid respects in December at the Yasukuni Shrine, which is seen widely as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

Washington had signaled it wanted Abe to stay away from the shrine and then expressed "disappointment" over his visit, fearing it would further fray ties with China and South Korea.

A US official told Reuters: "We think it's important that Japan address historical issues in a way that does not increase tensions."

Lyu said the US is given a chance to "save face" and reaffirm its global leadership position in the Asia-Pacific after failure to prevent Crimea in southern Ukraine from joining Russia.

"There is the possibility that the two sides will exchange advantages. For example, the US could impose more pressure on China at Tokyo's request, while Japan could compromise in the (Trans-Pacific Partnership) negotiations," Lyu said.

Obama and Abe will have to demonstrate the prospect of progress on the TPP trade pact, which concerns 12 regional economies.

Early this month, 18-hour marathon talks in Tokyo between the two sides failed to yield any substantial progress. The two economies in the multilateral initiative, have been at odds over the issues of removing Japanese tariffs on farm goods as well as automobiles.

Contact the writer at puzhendong@chinadaily.com.cn