Opinion 11:38, 24-Jan-2022
Underlying vulnerabilities of the U.S.-Japan alliance
Hannan Hussain
On January 21, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met virtually to mark their first meeting since Kishida took office. As expected, the veneer of a strong U.S.-Japan relationship didn't hold for long against a shared desire for regional interference. "The two leaders resolved to push back against the People's Republic of China (PRC)'s attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and South China Sea," stated a readout of the meeting.
Manufactured concerns in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, blatant disregard for China's territorial sovereignty over Diaoyu Islands, and more U.S.-Japan doublespeak on cross-strait relations serve as a reminder that such anti-China posturing will yield no fruit for Japan. That is because China's sovereign interests are unquestionably sovereign, and debating that reality – even in rhetoric – may signal to Asia that the U.S.-Japan alliance is not fit for peace.
【词语解释和扩展】
veneer n. 外表；虚饰；饰面；胶合板的一层；薄木片 vt. 胶合；虚饰；给……镶以饰片，这里指的是表面上的强有力的美日联盟并没有坚持太久，因为他们对于干扰地区和平有着共同的渴望。
doublespeak n. 欺人之谈，故弄玄虚的言词，模棱两可的用词；含糊其辞的说法
postering n. 故作姿态；摆姿势；并非由衷的言行
It is Washington – not Beijing – that represents a credible threat to stability in the East and South China Seas. The U.S.'s support for unlawful maritime claims, its conscious efforts to sow discord between neighbors, its advancement of controversial Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), and its treatment of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as political leverage make it all very clear. In fact, these are the provocations that necessitate true "push back."
So does Tokyo's persistent attempt to acquire false assurances from Washington on the applicability of the Japan-U.S. security treaty to China's Diaoyu Islands. "The President [Biden] resolutely affirmed that Article V of the Mutual Security Treaty applies to the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands), and affirmed the U.S.'s unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan, using its full range of capabilities," mentioned the readout.
【词语解释和扩展】
provocate v. <罕>激怒；刺激；挑拨
discord n. 意见分歧，不和；不和谐音，不协和弦
necessitate v. 使成为必需，需要；迫使 necessary
resolutely adv. 坚决地；毅然地 resolve
unwavering adj. 坚定的；不动摇的 unwavering commitment
Touting U.S. "capabilities" in the name of Tokyo's defenses won't remotely affect, in any way, China's exercise of its territorial rights over Diaoyu Islands. But it will provide more evidence of Washington's desire to advance confrontation under any pretext in the region. That is a bad look for the U.S.-Japan alliance. It calls into question what both leaderships deem essential to "enhance" their so-called "commitment to the region."
用保卫日本国防的名义来吹捧美国的能力其实并不能在任何方面影响中国在钓鱼岛执行领土权力。但是的确给华盛顿不管用任何借口渴望在地区造成争端带来了更多的证据。
On "peace and stability" across the Taiwan Straits, what Kishida and Biden pay is nothing but lip service. It is lip service because the forces that campaign for instability, and harbor fantasies of an "independent" Taiwan, are those that are cheered-on by both nations. What this two-faced approach to the one-China principle indicates is a larger duplicity in U.S.-Japan offerings in Asia, particularly in the name of "cooperation."
对于维护台湾海峡的和平和稳定，美日双方都只是口头随便说说。这种对一个中国原则非常虚伪的方式表明美日双方都是对于亚洲都是口是心非，尤其是还借着合作的名义。
【词语解释和扩展】
tout vt. 兜售；招徕；刺探赛马情报 vi. 兜售；招徕顾客；拉选票 n. 侦查者；兜售者
duplicity n. 口是心非；表里不一；不诚实
As far as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is concerned, both Kishida and Biden reaffirm their support for the bloc's centrality, vowing to strengthen cooperation in the region. But on the maritime front, their allegation of attempted shifts in status-quo in the South China Sea sharply contrasts with the stated need of ASEAN: to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) negotiations. These negotiations represent a process of enhancing trust and confidence among recognized parties, not promoting toxic speculation about stable waters.
一方面，美日双方领导人都保证对本地区中心地位的支持，承诺加强地区合作。但是在海事方面，他们声称要试图改变南海地区的现状的说法和东南亚国家联盟规定的却背道而驰。
Observers can expect more misrepresentation of Asian security contours as Japan prepares to hold the next summit of Quad Leaders this spring. The grouping – which is yet to fully establish gains on climate, infrastructure, energy and anti-pandemic commitments – is likely to endorse Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework proposal, and claim it as the interest of the region.
But given what largely commands the Quad and its China-focused containment ambitions, the proposed economic framework too is a U.S. prescription. It will be aimed at a region that generates most economic prescriptions on its own, and is less compelled to add teeth to a divisive Indo-Pacific strategy.
As Tokyo tags along, it is worth to ask – is this the aggregate strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance?
【词语解释和扩展】
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)东南亚国家联盟
contour n. 轮廓；[气象]等高线v. 画等高线；画轮廓
Quad 美日印澳
tag along 紧跟，尾随
这段其实描述的是日本一味吹捧美国的经济框架草案，称其为也是地区的利益所在。但其实这个经济框架其实是治疗美国的药方，旨在给他自己带来更大的经济利益，而不是其他。那么，当日本紧跟美国的时候，有一个很值得提出的问题就是，这个的确能够加强美日同盟的力量么？