WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- What should have been a relaxed visit among friends is turning out to be anything but for Dick Cheney. The U.S. vice president's visit to Japan and Australia this week is finding him hunkered down more often than not in locations that are guaranteed to give him a warm welcome, such as the U.S. ambassador's residence in Tokyo and the Yokosuka naval base in the outskirts of the Japanese capital.
What's more, the vice president's visit comes on the same week that Japanese and Australian officials are stating that the two countries will soon have closer military as well as political ties amid growing tension in the Asia-Pacific region.
Granted, the United States remains Japan's single most important ally militarily, and there are about 50,000 U.S. troops based in the country. Meanwhile, Japan had been a strong supporter of the Bush administration's decision to wage war against Iraq, even though it pulled out its troops from the country last year. Since then, though, animosity towards the White House even from leading public figures has only intensified, not excluding recently appointed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe himself, making Cheney's reception in the country less than cozy. Indeed, in a city where street protests are rare, Cheney has been heckled by crowds and chants of "Yankee go home" following his moves have not been uncommon.
Meanwhile, Japanese media reports have highlighted Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma's decision not to meet with Cheney during his visit as a direct snub of the vice president, who has emphasized the need for continued Japanese support for the Iraq war as well as the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. Even Empress Michiko had to cancel her meeting with Cheney together with her husband, Emperor Akihito, although in the case of the empress, it appears that it was genuinely due to health concerns that she declined the meeting, rather than aiming for a calculated slight.
As for Kyuma not meeting the vice president, "it's for protocol reasons" as the minister would be outranked by the vice president, said one Japanese government official on condition of anonymity. The official acknowledged, however, that avoiding a meeting actually was a bigger protocol faux pas than concerns about rank, especially since Cheney actually went ahead and met with Foreign Minister Taro Aso.
Still, as Japanese frustration with the Bush administration grows at a time when geopolitical risks in Asia continue to rise with the presence of North Korea on one hand and China's growing military power on the other, Japan is seeking to bolster its alliance with other powers in the region, most notably Australia. On the eve of Cheney's visit, Japanese and Australian officials stated that they would hold formal meetings between their respective foreign and defense ministers on a regular basis, instead of simply meeting as it has until now when Japan and the United States got together largely to discuss diplomatic issues and not military matters. A formal agreement is expected to be signed by Abe and John Howard when the Australian prime minister visits Tokyo next month.
Of course, there are major concerns for the region that require close cooperation among allies, most notably in trying to disarm North Korea of its nuclear arsenal. But while Junichiro Koizumi, who stepped down as premier last September, made a point of emphasizing the need for committed U.S. presence in the six-party talks, Abe has made clear that Japan has its own priorities with Pyongyang.
Japan "cannot take part" with the United States as well as China, Russia, and South Korea unless Kim Jong-Il's regime comes clean about abducting Japanese nationals over three decades ago. And unless it does, "there will be no energy aid," Abe added earlier this month, even though Cheney insisted that Japan remains "one of America's closes allies" in his address to U.S. troops stationed in the country Wednesday.
For now, though, it seems that Japan is preparing to hedge its risks when it comes to forging alliances.
