Japan made headway towards improving ties with its Asian neighbors during the
Japan - ASEAN Summit held in Tokyo last week.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged close to twenty billion U.S. dollars for development and disaster preparedness projects--along with increased investment from Japanese firms--throughout Southeast Asia.
http://www.dw.de/japan-pledges-billions-in-aid-to-southeast-asian-nations-during-asean-summit/a-17296772Abe laid out his administration's goals in the Asia-Pacific region during the opening of the summit:
"I would like to build an Asia Pacific future that respects each other's cultures and construct an economic system that is realized not by force, but by rule of law and our efforts."A statement released during the summit by the participants gave support to these goals:
"We underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region and promoting maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce, exercise of self-restraint and resolution of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law."The summit also signaled Japan's further transition from their long-standing postwar pacifism towards what might be a more active role in defense matters for itself and for Asia in general. Prior to the summit, a defense panel appointed by Prime Minister Abe drew up a draft for a new national security plan that called for Japan to steadily strengthen its military forces in order to solidify its presence in Asia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/world/asia/japanese-defense-panel-calls-for-expanded-regional-role.html?src=recgMr. Abe called this new strategy
"proactive pacifism" as his administration continues to move Japan closer towards being able to defend its interests and, eventually, that of its allies, especially in the wake of recent moves by China.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/world/asia/japan-moves-to-strengthen-military-amid-rivalry-with-china.html?_r=0Tensions with China have garnered more public support for the Prime Minister's plan but there are questions as to whether Japan's defense industry can actually step up and produce the necessary assets. Some experts believe that the country's national debt will hinder their efforts and that Japan will need to rely upon foreign companies when it comes to military spending.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/17/us-japan-security-idUSBRE9BG02S20131217China, of course, regards such actions by Japan as having the potential to threaten peace and destabilize Asia. The state-run
Xinhua news agency declared that
"anyone with only half a brain knows that it is Japan who intentionally set the region on fire in the first place." Xinhua further stated that the Japanese government
"should face up to its aggression in history and cooperate with its Asian neighbors instead of angering them with rounds and rounds of unwise words and policies."
