Japan Weakness Draws China, Russia Territorial Claims
Japanese border disputes with China and Russia are thwarting the goals of Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s ruling party to improve ties with its neighbors and reduce dependence on the U.S. security umbrella. The September collision of a Chinese fishing boat with two Japanese Coast Guard vessels near islands claimed by both sides increased friction between Asia’s biggest economies. Last week’s visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to an island also claimed by Japan hurt ties as well. The incidents underscored Japan’s weakness relative to its largest neighbors and its dependence on the U.S., said Bhubhindar Singh, a professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore who specializes in Japanese security policy. Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in February 2009 called for a “more equal” relationship with Japan’s biggest ally. Japan’s economic and political vulnerability “definitely played a part in terms of facilitating or motivating China and Russia to pl...