Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2017 March 1 - 7 [POLITICS]

Shii: Trump in speech declares hegemonic militarism

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at a press conference on March 2 characterized U.S. President Trump’s address to Congress as a declaration of U.S. hegemonic militarism.

Shii made this statement following the speech President Trump delivered on February 28. Trump in his first speech to Congress proclaimed that he will do everything needed to “extinguish ISIS” from the planet and will dramatically increase national defense spending.

Trump also said, “We expect our partners, whether in NATO, in the Middle East, or the Pacific -- to take a direct and meaningful role in both strategic and military operations, and pay their fair share of the cost.”

Regarding this point, Shii said that the major U.S. allies in the Pacific are Japan and South Korea, and warned, “It is highly probable that the U.S. will demand that Japan bear an extra financial burden and also demand that Japan’s troops provide logistical support for anti-IS operations by the U.S. military.”

Shii pointed his finger at the dangerous combination of the Abe government with its policy of “Japan-U.S. alliance first” and the Trump administration with its policy of hegemonic militarism. He said, “I really believe in the necessity of challenging Abe’s notion of diplomacy.”