Japan must choose between Asia and America
Published on: Saturday, February 18, 2017
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should ask the Japanese people to decide whether Japan being part and parcel of Asia should continue its alliance with USA or become part of Asia.
The Japanese are Asians for all intents and purposes. US is a western country with only 300 million people whereas Asia has more than 5 billion and Asia is moving faster than the USA whose economy is now stagnant.
The future is in Asia with 5 billion people – a limitless market and friends.
As an Asian, it is disgusting to see on TV the condescending attitude of Abe towards new American President Trump. His body language shows servitude and deference to Trump. The Japanese Prime Minister is the only head of government in the developed world that “kowtow” very low during his recent US visit.
The Canadian Prime Minister, British Prime Minister and all the European heads of government have spoken frankly and as equal to Donald Trump.
It is also not understood why Japan being part of Asia is very much dependent on USA for security protection and trade for its prosperity. nevertheless, there is no need to lower his dignity so low to please Trump.
Many smaller nations like Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines do not cower down to USA to the extent the Japanese Prime Minister had done.
These small nations have maintained their dignity for the simple reason that they have maintained good relationship with USA and China all the time. Whereas, Japan has refused to face the new reality of China having become a superpower with an economy that will surpass America soon.
Japanese dependence on the American market will be the downfall of the Japanese economy in the near future.
Already, Japan has lost many markets because of uncompetitive pricing. Many Japanese manufactured goods and machinery, especially agricultural machinery are 30pc to 50pc higher. Chinese machinery are just as good but a lot cheaper! In 10 years, China will become a major vehicle producer that will rival Japan’s current dominance.
Toyota will face many severe survival tests especially from Chinese products.
With Trump bent on building walls to lock and isolate America, Japan, for sheer economic survival, will have to make a difficult choice to wean itself from excessive dependence on US and begin meaningful political and economic rapprochements with Asia, especially China.
Both manufacturing and technology are catching up very fast by China and others.
China will also produce their own plane same as the Boeing 737, this will be in the market within the next 10 years.
The Japanese are out because of high cost and limited markets.
Five billion people make Asia as the largest single market in the world. What more the population in China and Asia is rising every year, the number of people going up the ladder to the middle class is rising.
As of now it has already more than 600 million middle class people.
Therefore, China has a ready market at home. Asian people will by then use anything made in China.
Firstly, it is half the price of Japanese goods. Secondly, China has been helping undeveloped countries whereas Japan is helping a developed country like USA by investing heavily in the USA. This is not in the interest of Japan in the long run.
Japan can stick to its present “kowtow” policy to USA or be an equal partner with other Asian nations.
Trump’s USA is pretty alone in the world right now.
Her closest European, Australian and Canadian allies are finding Trump a novice to deal with.
USA with 300 million or 5 billion people in Asia with China’s increasingly affluent 1.5 billion where does Japan want to go? Japan’s access to other parts of the world will be seriously curtailed as China has been helping them in their economic development. Japan is no match in this area.
In the early days historians would confirm that China could have annexed Japan as part of China.
The disputed island Senkaku originally belonged to China and after the Second World War when Japan was occupied by USA, these islands were made as part of Japan by the USA.
Similarly Israel was also created by the US taking Arabs land after the Second World War.
The objective of the US and Britain was to create something which will create trouble in the region.
This is now a fact. Like Israel these disputed islands will not be settled until and unless Japan returns them to China.
China will never give up and the USA whose economy is going down as the day goes by cannot afford to fight China and Russia and create a Third World War.
Therefore, it is important for Japan to return the islands to China to avoid a Third World War.
Any war in the Pacific between USA, China and Russia will destroy Japan completely.
Japan will be squeezed between the USA on one hand and China and Russia on the other.
Japan can rebuild its relationship with Asia’s emerging nation by recognising undeniable historical facts.
Japan should apologise for its brutal acts during the 2nd World War, return the Senkaku Islands, which the USA had wrongfully given to Japan, to China. China will never give up claims to these islands and will fight.
In the final analysis, a Japan under the shadow of America will always remain a lackey state to USA.
New generations of Japanese will find difficulty reconciling this.
For 60 years since the end of 2nd World War, the Japanese have not changed this stance – subservient to America and trying to be superior to Asian nations. The question for Japan is – can Japan continue this ambivalent posture forever?
The Japanese Prime Minister should be under no illusion that Trump will be friendly to him because he is his only “good boy” in the block. Rest assured that the American President will also squeeze Japan for its last dollar for the security protection just like what he has done to the Nato countries.
Abe should realize that there is no place for Japan in Trump’s ‘America first’ policy. When the crunch comes in American economic decline, Japan will not come to a poor 2nd!
Surely Japan does not want another Atom Bomb or similar bombs after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is an opportune time for Japan to decide which way it is going along with its neighbours Asia or USA which is far away.
Is Japan going to be protected by the USA forever? This is the pertinent question.
Japan should not forget Asia has about 5 billion people whose economy is rising everyday.
The economy in Asia is going up and USA is going down.
Asia can depend on agricultural products from Russia and Europe.
A few years ago China bought several million acres of wheat land in Georgia.
Therefore, over the next decade Asia will be more prosperous than the USA.
China alone has not less than 600 million middle class people.
Based on the foregoing, there is no alternative but for Japan to be in Asia. Abe must be reminded that Trumps over-generous reception to him was because he was condemned everywhere and is looking for friends.
He got one in Abe who seems anxious to be known as friend of a famous and cruel man.
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