Soon after reading this article, I have
placed an order for a new book by Mr. Ukeru Magosaki, which Mr. Uekusa recommends
as a must-read. Of course, I did not
place an order with Amazon.
Masaotshi
Takeshita
February
2, 2013
English translation of an excerpt from a Japanese article: Kazuhide Ukekusa’s “Unknown Truth” – March 1, 2013 –
“Three
‘No’s” President Obama Presents to Prime Minister Abe
The Japanese media seems to speak very
highly of Mr. Abe’s visit to the U.S. by giving a lot of coverage of it, while
almost no coverage is given in the U.S.
There is apparently a big difference in
interest between the two countries.
Actually, the U.S.
received Mr. Abe extremely unfriendly.
No reception line, no
dinner party, no joint press conference; Nothing was presented to Abe.
This is kind of “three ‘No’s” of the U.S.
I wonder if the Abe
administration is underestimated by the U.S. that considers the government as a
lapdog which always wags its tail even after being treated badly.
Although Prime Minister Abe gave a speech
in English, it appears that nobody – President, senior presidential aide,
cabinet member and Senator – participated in the lecture.
You might say that the
size and volume of a gift is a yardstick for how much the administration has
been cornered into a real situation.
It is safe to say that a
combination of nuclear power plants, TPP and Henoko is equivalent to a gift for
three-time visit to the U.S.
Before Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the
U.S., a gif of relaxing regulations on import meat had already been sent by
airmail.
Furthermore, he presented the above
custom-tailored three gifts to Obama.
It is far from a
negotiation.
It is really tribute trading
diplomacy.
Historically, an imperial country presented
to its client country far more costly gifts than the tribute the latter country
brings to the former country. It may be proper to say that this case is colonial diplomacy.
Looking at this reality, it raises the
hypothesis that the Abe administration has actually been backed into a corner
in Japan-U.S. relations.
Mr. Ukeru Magosaki, the former chief of
Intelligence and Analysis Bureau, Foreign Affairs Ministry, has come out with a
new book “What will happen to the world? – American decline and Japan – ”
(Publisher: Chikuma Shinsho)
The current global
situation surrounding the U.S. is condensed in this book.
Basic reference materials concerning U.S.
diplomacy are surveyed in full details and the fact that global situations
surrounding the U.S. are rapidly changing is shown accurately and objectively.
This book provides superb
information to get an overview of the modern world.
It is safe to say that
this is one of must-reads. Mr. Magosaki does a really splendid job.
In diplomacy with China, the biggest change
in environment is China’s rise and surge.
Although the Japanese
tend to think under absolute presupposition that the U.S. is anti-Chinese and
pro-Japanese, the force in the U.S. that have correctly recognized the rise of
China and strongly recognized the importance of China is expanding the sphere
of its influence.
If this situation is misread, Japan will
make a big mistake.
Behind impatient action of the Abe
administration, we can see through structural changes in the diplomacy with the
U.S.
Leave a Reply