JapanbecomesliabilityofUSinAsia摘要.doc

Japan becomes liability of US in Asia-Pacific BEIJING - President Barack Obama, priding himself on being Americas first Pacific President, starts his four-nation Asia tour in Japan late Wednesday, aiming to consolidate Washingtons long-promised engagement with the dynamic Asia-Pacific region. China-Japan relations? It will be the first state visit to Japan, one of Americas closest allies in Asia, by a US president since 1996 when Japan hosted then US President Bill Clinton. Obama will also visit South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. The Japanese government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been hoping that Obama will demonstrate during his two-night stay that Japan-US alliance...is undoubtedly unshakable and firm. But this hope will be hard to satisfy. A right-tilting Japan, with Abe at the helm, has been busy with whitewashing its wartime aggression against its neighbors, raising severe concerns in China and South Korea. Meanwhile, Tokyo has also been engaged in intense territorial disputes with Beijing and Seoul. Thus, on the contrary to Japans claim that it wants to be a constructive partner for the United States in upholding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, the rapidly right-leaning country has actually become a strategic liability for Washington. On the eve of Obamas arrival in Japan, 146 Japanese lawmakers visited en masse on Tuesday the notorious Yasukuni Shrine which honors 14 Class-A war criminals in World War II along with Japans war dead, adding difficulties to Obamas already challenging seven-day Asian tour. The visits followed an offering to the Tokyo shrine by Abe on Monday. Although having decided not to pay tribute in person this time, the prime minister dedicated a masakaki tree. China-Japan relations? It is seen as an obvious attempt to play both ways -- avoiding further embarrassing Obama diplomatically and at the same time appeasing right-leaning forces domestically. Japan has apologized for its wartime brutality on sev