Japan Press Weekly

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2017 January 25 - 31 [POLITICS]

Shii: Abe gov’t should abandon ‘Japan-U.S. alliance first’ approach

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on January 26 at a press conference said that with U.S. President Donald Trump proclaiming an “America First” agenda, if Prime Minister Abe Shinzo maintains his “Japan-U.S. alliance first” approach, he will pave the way for “Japan’s endless subordination to the U.S.”

Shii highlighted the danger that as the new leader of the world’s strongest superpower adopted such a self-centered approach, the Trump administration would take a hegemonic stance of imposing on the rest of the world what it considers beneficial to America in all fields.

Shii went on to say that Trump’s “America First” stance and Abe’s “Japan-U.S. alliance first” stance are the worst stances imaginable for Japanese people.

The JCP chair pointed out that there are already signs that PM Abe is willing to be even more subordinate to the U.S. At a House of Councilors plenary session on January 25, PM Abe stated that if urged by the Trump administration to shoulder a larger share of military burdens, Japan will play a larger role in supporting the U.S. while building up its military capability.

In Diet discussions in the past, PM Abe said that under the war laws, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are legally allowed to take part in missions to train and support Afghani security forces as well as in missions to provide logistics support for military operations against the Islamic extremist group IS. Shii noted that if the Trump administration urges Japan to send SDF units to these missions, the “alliance first” Abe government will accept.

Shii also said that PM Abe is highly likely to approve Trump’s request for Japan to pay more of the stationing costs of the U.S. Forces in Japan and for the U.S. military bases in Okinawa and the rest of the country.

Past related article:
> JCP Chair Shii issues statement on Trump’s presidency [January 22, 2017]