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Updated Wednesday, November 18, 2009 10:14 am TWN, By Frank Ching, Special to The China Post

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U.S. needs to pay attention to Asia and shift in power

Since then, however, Japan has become a member of the East Asia Summit, which groups ASEAN nations, the three northeast Asian countries, plus India, Australia and New Zealand, without American participation. President Obama suggested in his speech in Tokyo that the United States wants to engage “with the East Asia Summit more formally,” a possible indication of a desire for inclusion.

Moreover, Japan, China and South Korea are holding annual summit meetings to discuss economic cooperation. Japan is also talking with ASEAN about a free trade agreement (FTA) and China, Japan and South Korea are jointly considering an FTA.

The economist Andy Xie wrote recently in Caijing magazine: “Japan has a strong and genuine case that favors more integration with East Asia. The United States is unlikely to recover soon and with enough strength to feed Japan's export machine again ... Without a new source of trade, Japan's economy is doomed. Closer integration with East Asia is the only way out.”

Of course, economics and politics are separate but related. Marxists like to say that the economic base determines the superstructure, which may suggest that stronger Japan-China economic relations will shape their political relationship.

But political suspicions between Japan and China are a fact of life, and given Japanese apprehension of China's intentions as it grows not only economically but also militarily, Tokyo is unlikely to want to weaken its security relationship with Washington. Moreover, the United States under the Obama administration is keen to make up for lost time and bolster its influence in East Asia.

That being the case, the Japan-U.S. relationship is likely to remain strong for as long as China remains viewed as a potential threat by Japan and other countries in East Asia.

The United States, which remains by far the most powerful player, needs to pay attention to its friends in this part of the world. The current perceived decline in American influence is due in part to neglect of the region over the last decade, especially during the Asian financial crisis, when it was China that stepped up to provide assistance.

Frank.ching@gmail.com

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