Reconfirming Article 5

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting with United States Secretary of Defense, James “Mad Dog” Mattis in the Official Residence in Tokyo on Friday. Newspapers reported it with a great headline of “Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Applied to Senkaku,” which indicated maintenance of the bilateral relationship. Anyway, has anyone in new U.S. administration, including President Donald Trump himself, said that America would ignore or abolish U.S.-Japan alliance?

Abe welcomed Mattis as the first guest of Trump Cabinet and one of the most relied Secretaries by the President. “I would like to welcome Secretary Mattis with long experience in military and rich knowledge in diplomatic policy,” told Abe. Referring to his experience of stationing Japan long time ago, Mattis greeted with his happiness to have come back. And the Secretary of Defense stressed the importance of Article 5 of U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which wrote obligation of U.S. to protect Japan under attack. A governmental official of Japan revealed that Mattis clearly reconfirmed Senkaku to be included in the area to where Article 5 would be applied.

As Trump kept on saying in election campaign last year that U.S. had to require further contribution from its allies to assure their security. But, it was not a declaration of withdrawal from alliance. The government of Japan interpreted it as a possibility of pulling back from Japan-U.S. alliance. Reconfirmation of application of Article 5 was the main goal in the Friday meeting for Japan. The result was simply no change from the policy in Barack Obama administration.

Okinawa was rather a great issue. Abe and Mattis reconfirmed that relocation of Futenma U.S. Marine Airbase to Henoko would be the best option. “There is two ways. One is Henoko and another is Henoko,” said Mattis, praising the effort of Japanese government. But, his recognition was not so collect. Japanese government has been failing in persuading the people in Okinawa, including Governor Takeshi Onaga, and kept on encouraging their resentment against the government with unilateral process without firm consent. There is no clear view for new base so far.

They did not raise the issue of increasing Japan’s financial contribution to U.S. Force in Japan. “This issue was settled with this meeting,” told a Japanese official to Mainichi Shimbun. Really? Demanding further contribution to the allies was campaign promise of Trump. It is likely that the cost of security assurance will be discussed in the top meeting between Abe and Trump next week. In addition to more import of U.S. beef, less export of Japanese cars or creation of jobs in America, Trump is looking for any opportunity of posing burdens to Japan.