kantei.go.jp Right. Once again it appears that I have fallen behind somewhat on my updates to this blog, mainly because the amount of information I am crunching at the moment, combined with other tasks, has robbed me of the spare moment that I need to post new articles. It has been less than a week since PM Shinzo Abe made his address to a joint sitting of the US Congress, a speech (J) that was, as far as is discernable, amicably (if not a bit nonchalantly) received by its American audience in contrast to audiences in China or South Korea. Earlier last week, ANU academic Tessa Morris Suzuki wrote this particular piece for the East Asia Forum which was quite insightful as to the reasons why China and South Korea have been so adamant in their opposition to Abe’s speeches despite their message of co-operation and peace. In sum, it all comes down to semantics, and the perception that Abe’s ‘deep repentance’ does not equate to an apology for Japan’s colonial legacy in East Asia.
The Australian media essentially followed the line of the US and Japanese media in noting the historical significance ($) of Abe’s address, while also echoing the by-line that Abe was looking for support from the US during his visit for both the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and for Japan’s new defence guidelines with the US. The implications behind the new guidelines were not lost on Australian observers, with one noting that these guidelines point towards more activities between Australia, Japan, and the US in the Asia Pacific region that might serve as a hedge against China, while another noted the changing regional dynamic and how the guidelines will allow Australian forces to work on a more equitable basis with Japanese and US partners in areas such as disaster response and humanitarian missions.
The Diplomat magazine had an interview with MOFA Press Secretary Kawamura Yasuhisa about the new guidelines, in which Kawamura did reiterate the line that they would relate to offering mutual defence against attacks that involve missiles, a scenario that has been given a great deal of analysis in the Japanese media over the past two years ever since PM Abe raised the prospect of reinterpreting the Constitution to allow for collective self defence. A more thorough analysis of the guidelines was offered by Jeff Hornung, who concluded by writing that “While Japan still is not a “normal country” that can fight alongside American troops in combat, it is voluntarily taking on larger security roles alongside its American ally”.
On a more personal note, last weekend I turned 40. That is in many ways a milestone, and it has been quite a journey getting here. Much has been achieved, and much has yet to be achieved. Everyone’s experience of being 40 is different, and so I can’t claim to be able to speak definitively about what being 40 actually feels like. Although I can say this – it feels no different to being 39. So here’s to the next 10 years, when I’ll again be waxing lyrical about turning 50. In the interim I will get a lot more done and do many more things, of that I am sure!
The Australian media essentially followed the line of the US and Japanese media in noting the historical significance ($) of Abe’s address, while also echoing the by-line that Abe was looking for support from the US during his visit for both the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and for Japan’s new defence guidelines with the US. The implications behind the new guidelines were not lost on Australian observers, with one noting that these guidelines point towards more activities between Australia, Japan, and the US in the Asia Pacific region that might serve as a hedge against China, while another noted the changing regional dynamic and how the guidelines will allow Australian forces to work on a more equitable basis with Japanese and US partners in areas such as disaster response and humanitarian missions.
The Diplomat magazine had an interview with MOFA Press Secretary Kawamura Yasuhisa about the new guidelines, in which Kawamura did reiterate the line that they would relate to offering mutual defence against attacks that involve missiles, a scenario that has been given a great deal of analysis in the Japanese media over the past two years ever since PM Abe raised the prospect of reinterpreting the Constitution to allow for collective self defence. A more thorough analysis of the guidelines was offered by Jeff Hornung, who concluded by writing that “While Japan still is not a “normal country” that can fight alongside American troops in combat, it is voluntarily taking on larger security roles alongside its American ally”.
On a more personal note, last weekend I turned 40. That is in many ways a milestone, and it has been quite a journey getting here. Much has been achieved, and much has yet to be achieved. Everyone’s experience of being 40 is different, and so I can’t claim to be able to speak definitively about what being 40 actually feels like. Although I can say this – it feels no different to being 39. So here’s to the next 10 years, when I’ll again be waxing lyrical about turning 50. In the interim I will get a lot more done and do many more things, of that I am sure!
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