U.S.-India-Japan Trilateral Dialogue

[Vikrant]

This is a useful dialogue for sure.

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On June 26, the United States hosted the seventh trilateral dialogue with India and Japan in Honolulu to exchange views on a broad range of regional and global issues of mutual interest. The discussion was co-chaired by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal, and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel. The Indian delegation was led by Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretaries Vinay Kwatra, Pradeep Rawat, and Amandeep Gill. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General of Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Takio Yamada headed the delegation from the Government of Japan. The dialogue addressed a variety of issues, including multilateral institutions in the Asia-Pacific, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The deepening of this regular dialogue since 2011 reflects a growing convergence of the regional and global interests as the three countries broaden cooperation to span the region from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

7th U.S.-India-Japan Trilateral Dialogue

 

[waltky]

Japan Set To Abandon Pacifism...

Assertive Japan poised to abandon 70 years of pacifism
September 17, 2015 | Japan's upper house of Parliament is poised to pass the first major reinterpretation of the country's pacifist constitution since the end of World War II, despite fierce and vocal opposition that culminated with lawmakers getting into physical altercations.

The historic vote, which could take place Friday, marks the most dramatic shift in Japanese military policy in 70 years, and has triggered the largest protests seen in Tokyo in decades. A scuffle broke out Thursday as opposition lawmakers in a special committee of the Upper House attempted to delay a vote. But the bill ultimately passed the committee, clearing a key hurdle and setting the stage for a vote on the measure. The controversial legislation reinterprets Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which outlaws war as a means of settling international disputes. The reinterpretation allows Japan to exercise collective self-defense, enabling the Japanese military, known as the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), to fight overseas and defend allies with limited conditions.

The argument for the bills

Supporters of the legislation, including top U.S. officials, say Japan needs to expand the role of the SDF to counter potential threats from nations such as China and North Korea. Both continue to develop their military and nuclear weapons programs. Earlier this month, China staged its largest military parade ever to celebrate 70 years since Japan's World War II defeat. Beijing remains locked in territorial disputes with multiple Asian neighbors in the East and South China seas. On Tuesday, North Korea warned the United States and its allies that it is ready to use nuclear weapons "at any time" and is expected to launch a new satellite using a long-range rocket sometime in the coming weeks.

Civic group members hold placards during an anti-government rally in Tokyo

Tokyo has faced growing international pressure to expand the role of its military to defend the interests of its key allies, including the United States. America is bound by treaty to defend Japan, an agreement that has been in place since 1960. "Japan is like the 42-year-old kid still living in the basement of the United States," said longtime Asia strategist Keith Henry.

Henry's Tokyo-based consulting firm, Asia Strategy, provides governmental policy analysis. Henry likens the defense bills to Japan finally "growing up" and moving beyond vague concepts of peace and democracy that are no longer practical given today's rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Henry says Japan is assuming a more proactive role in regional security, in part to offset China's growing military might. "Japan is moving out of the house of the U.S. that was essentially built after World War II," Henry said. "But there are risks involved in protecting one's national self interests."

The argument against

See also:

Japan ruling party in final push to expand role of military
Sep 18, 2015: Japan's parliament is moving toward final approval of legislation that would loosen post-World War II constraints placed on its military, an issue that has sparked sizeable street protests and raised fundamental questions about whether the nation needs to shift away from its pacifist ways to face growing security challenges.

Opposition parties, in a last-ditch show of resistance, were delaying a vote on the bills by introducing a series of no-confidence measures against government ministers and parliamentary leaders on Friday. They were destined to fail, but ate up hours of time to debate and vote on each one.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made expanding what the military can do one of his legislative priorities in the face of North Korean missile tests, Chinese challenges to Japanese sovereignty over remote islands, and Middle East terrorism. One major goal of the legislation is to allow the military to work more closely with its most important ally, the United States.

The public, while recognizing the threats, remains uncomfortable at best with the changes. Those opposed outnumber supporters by a wide margin in media polls, and rallies against the bills and Abe himself have swelled into the tens of thousands in recent months, unusually large for Japan.

A look at what's at stake: