SPEAKING FREELY Why Japanese are uneasy with US Democrats
By Kazuyo Kato
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The US Democratic Party is receiving a lot of media attention in Japan with the
spate of announcements by prominent Democrats of their intentions to run for
president next year. America's political elites should not be surprised to hear
concerns from
Japanese about the implications of a potential Democratic administration in
2009. These Japanese share a stereotypical negative image of the party formed
in recent years.
One explanation for the current uneasiness toward the party is the relatively
short experience working with Democratic administrations. Between Richard
Nixon's presidency - the beginning of the post-Vietnam War era and the economic
rise of Japan - and 2006, Republicans were in the White House for 26 years. By
contrast, Democrats were in office for just 12 years, during the
administrations of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
Moreover, as some Democrats readily admit, their party in the post-Vietnam War
era has been seen as having much less interest and experience with foreign and
security affairs. Japan was among other countries in the world that were
unimpressed by the 1979 Iran hostage tragedy during the Carter administration.
Then the Clinton administration appeared on the stage, and it initially was
viewed with optimism by older Japanese officials who believed it would usher in
a new era for the US-Japan alliance. It was expected that Bill Clinton, as the
first president to be born after World War II and not a veteran like his
predecessors, would break from the wartime past and treat Japan as an equal
partner.
However, such hopes disappeared when the administration unveiled its Asia
policy. In 1998, President Clinton visited China but neglected Japan -famously
termed the "Japan snub". Although Nixon had generated a similar sense of
neglect among the Japanese with his historic visit to China in 1972, the
Japanese can now understand his initiative in a larger context of the Cold War
and the Vietnam War.
Clinton secretary of state Madeleine Albright's visit to North Korea in 2000
was also unpopular in Japan. The Clinton administration's enthusiasm to engage
with North Korea while at the same time asking Japan and other allies to avoid
engaging Myanmar was puzzling.
In addition to the Clinton administration's policy toward China and North Korea
and its focus on economic interests, the positive experiences the Japanese
government has had with the United States during the current administration of
George W Bush have reinforced the image of Democrats as inexperienced diplomats
who are unable to appreciate Japan's role in Asia.
While Japanese experiences with the Carter and Clinton administrations explain
the discomfort Japanese political leaders may have over the possibility of a
Democratic administration taking charge in 2009, it must be noted that the two
administrations only cover a very short period of US-Japan history. In general,
after World War II, many Japanese leaders cultivated a positive image of the
United States during Democratic presidencies, perhaps more so than toward
Republican administrations.
Moreover, each Democratic administration that began with a relatively low
recognition of the importance of Japan to the United States gradually tended to
recognize the significance over time, especially toward the end of its tenure.
The Clinton administration was no exception. Japan and the United States
established the Special Action Committee on Okinawa in 1995 to reduce the
burden on the people on that Japanese island. The 1996 joint declaration on
security initiated a review of the 1978 US-Japan guidelines for defense
cooperation and a discussion of bilateral cooperation "in situations in areas
surrounding Japan", not just situations that impact Japan internally.
Japanese political elites should not depend too much on American individuals
who are so-called "Japan hands" to manage bilateral relations, and who tend to
stand out in the administration. If Japan is strong in its own right, it should
be able to attract support from all Americans.
For their part, American leaders should forge new links with the leaders of
Japan. Although successive Japanese governments have traditionally been strong
supporters of the US-Japan alliance, there are plenty of Japanese who take a
negative view of the United States.
According to a 2006 BBC World Service Poll, Japan was the country most widely
viewed as having a positive influence in the world. This country is home to
more than 45,000 US troops who support US forward presence to ensure regional
stability and deter aggression. Observing the situation in the Middle East and
Asia, it is a crucial time for the United States to obtain help from its
Asia-Pacific ally to keep an eye on the security of the region.
The US-Japan alliance is a relationship that should transcend party
affiliation. The current state of the bilateral relationship is a reflection of
all the efforts of the leaders on both sides of the Pacific to manage it
delicately, regardless of the personality of the two countries' leaders.
Loyalty to the alliance is not to be taken for granted; it needs to be earned.
New efforts are welcomed from both sides to avoid the US administration's party
affiliation from negatively affecting the alliance or the image of the country
as a whole should Democrats come to rule in the White House in 2009.
Kazuyo Kato is research associate at the International Security Program
of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.
(Copyright 2007 Kazuyo Kato.)
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have
their say.
Please click hereif you are interested in
contributing.
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