White House officials and Washington pundits
welcomed the move by Japan to reinterpret its 60-year-old pacifist Constitution,
even as they stressed the need for Tokyo to be transparent with its neighbours
in how it implements the policy.
And
while US administration officials left vague just what sort of military
contributions it expects from its Japanese allies, experts said any potential
defence cooperation will be limited, given the sensitivities in the region and
among large sections of the Japanese public.
On
Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a decision by the
government to allow its armed forces to aid friendly countries under attack and
not just act in self-defence.
The
move sparked strong reactions from Japan's neighbours China and South Korea,
but Washington expressed support for a less inhibited Japanese army.
Deputy
National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes told foreign
journalists in Washington that the US "very much welcomes" the move,
noting that President Barack Obama discussed the matter with Abe during a visit
to Tokyo in April.
"We
believe it's part of the continued maturation of our alliance and it opens the
door to additional cooperation.
"When
you look at issues such as Japan's support for peacekeeping efforts around the
world or their commitment to regional security and stability in Asia, I think
this policy creates space for Japan to play an even greater role as a security
partner of the United States and as a country that upholds international
order," he said, echoing sentiments from State Department officials.
He
downplayed the likelihood of the move raising tensions at a time when distrust
between countries in the region is at a high.
"If
it (the Japanese collective self-defence policy) is pursued in a transparent
fashion in consultation with neighbours in the region, that can reduce
misunderstanding and tensions," he said.
Shihoko
Goto, North-east Asia associate for the Wilson Centre's Asia programme in
Washington, similarly said that Japan needs to move forward carefully to avoid
raising tensions.
"For
the Abe administration, building trust with neighbouring South Korea and
eliminating any misunderstandings about what exactly collective self-defence
will mean is crucial," she said.
The one
largely unanswered question, though, is what the US will want Japan's
Self-Defence Forces to do that they are not already doing.
Rhodes
would say only that the issue was still being assessed.
Foreign
affairs experts told The Straits Times that the options for
military-to-military cooperation would be limited.
Japan
has made it clear it will not be getting involved in conflicts in Iraq and
Syria.
Adding
to the restraint is the role played by the New Komeito party, the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner.
"The
(New) Komeito insists that any further expansion in Japan's decision to allow
the Self-Defence Forces to use force will require a formal process of
constitutional revision that includes a national referendum that allows the
Japanese people to have a direct voice in the decision," said Dr Sheila
Smith, senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Jeremy
Au Yong
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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