海角大神

President Obama has assured Japan that the United States will defend its ally in the event of a conflict with China over the Senkaku islands, but he warned Beijing and Tokyo that the territorial dispute must be settled through dialogue.

In Tokyo on the start of a four-nation tour of Asia, Obama said he was simply restating the position of successive US administrations: that the US-Japan security treaty covers all territories administered by Japan.

聽鈥淥ur commitment to Japan鈥檚 security is absolute and article five [of the security treaty] covers all territories under Japan鈥檚 administration, including the Senkaku islands,鈥� Obama said Thursday during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Obama鈥檚 stops in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines are designed to demonstrate US support for its allies as part of its strategic 鈥減ivot鈥� toward the Asia-Pacific, a region whose unrivaled economic promise is often overshadowed by territorial spats and resentments stretching back to World War II. In Tokyo 鈥�the first US state visit in nearly two decades 鈥� Obama has been particularly focused on calming a nervous Japan and easing strained ties with Mr. Abe.

But he must also step delicately to assure China that there is no new 鈥渞ed line鈥� in Washington鈥檚 relationship with Beijing.

China reacted sharply to Obama鈥檚 statements, suggesting that it is unlikely to readily accept the president鈥檚 reassurances. But Jun Okumura, a visiting scholar at the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs in Tokyo, said Japan and the US shouldn鈥檛 read too much into China鈥檚 response, or its attempts to downplay the importance of US-Japan security ties.

鈥淐hina will of course act like it鈥檚 upset, but what Obama said is really no different from statements made by the US in the past,鈥� Mr. Okumura says. 鈥淐hina will condemn Obama鈥檚 remarks on the Senkaku as interference by a third-party, but then its surveillance ships will return to the area, make occasional trips into Japan鈥檚 territorial waters, and keep [Chinese] fishing boats at a distance. We will all move on.鈥�

The Senkaku have been a source of rising tension between the region鈥檚 two biggest economies since 2012, when Japan effectively nationalized the islands, sparking protests in Chinese cities and attacks on Japanese expat businesses.

In an attempt to placate Beijing, Obama described China as a 鈥渃ritical country not just to the region but to the world.鈥� He added: "We want to encourage the continued peaceful rise of China.鈥�

Strains over history 鈥� with the US as well as China

Despite today鈥檚 public show of solidarity in Tokyo, US-Japan ties have occasionally shown signs of strain since Abe became leader in 2012.

Late last year, Washington took the rare step of registering its concern after Abe visited Yasukuni, a controversial shrine in Tokyo that honors Japan鈥檚 war dead. Abe also caused unease when he indicated he would consider revising official apologies over Japan鈥檚 wartime conduct, including its use of tens of thousands of mainly Korean women as sex slaves in frontline brothels. He has since said he does not intend to alter the statement.

"The comfort women is what gets the press, but is a part of the wider issue of Japan's attitude to the Pacific War,鈥� says Robert Kelly, an associate professor at Pusan National University in South Korea. 鈥淲hat really needs to happen is for Japanese elites to stop saying creepy stuff about the war and start admitting that Japanese imperialism was harsh and unwanted."

On Thursday, Abe said Japan had reflected on its wartime conduct and 鈥渟trived to create a free and democratic country鈥� after the war. 鈥淪eventy years ago, when the war ended, Japan inflicted grave damage and pain on many people, particularly people in Asia,鈥� he added.

But Koichi Nakano, a professor of political science at Sophia University聽in Tokyo, sees the potential for more discord between Tokyo and Washington over historical issues. 鈥淥bama is skeptical of Abe鈥檚 nationalism and views of wartime history 鈥� after all they come from diametrically opposed political backgrounds,鈥� he says.

鈥淪o there is anxiety in the US at a time when it is playing a more complex game in East Asia, over whether Japan can be completely trusted. The question is whether Abe can keep his mouth shut. Even if he does, the suspicions about his views aren鈥檛 going to go away as long as he is in power.鈥�

Now 鈥� mend your fences

Having given the reassurances Japan sought over the Senkaku islands, the US expects Abe to begin mending fences with its other main ally in the region, South Korea. Obama is expected to make the same request of the President Park Geun-hye over the weekend.

鈥淚 think both Park and Abe feel receptive to the US pressure to improve bilateral ties now,鈥� says Kim Hyun-wook, director-general of the department of American studies at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security in Seoul. 鈥淲hat the US needs to do is to actively and officially intervene between Japan and Korea in order to reconcile their relationship.鈥�

Signs of rapprochement emerged last month when Abe and Park joined Obama for talks at the nuclear security summit in The Hague.

Obama underlined the need for Japan and South Korea to work together as part of wider efforts to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, amid reports that Pyongyang may be preparing to conduct its fourth nuclear test.

鈥淣orth Korea has engaged in provocative actions for the last several decades 鈥� it is an irresponsible actor on the international stage,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淥ur message has been consistent 鈥� they鈥檙e the most isolated country in the world, subject to more sanctions and condemnation than any other country. If you are serious about North Korea being a normal nation you have to start with normal behavior, and that starts with denuclearization.鈥�