“Stand With Our Ally in Tokyo”
Rep. Randy Forbes
The Diplomat
18 February 2014

Representative J. Randy Forbes, (R-VA), writes this editorial in The Diplomat urging us to stand behind our ally in Tokyo. He makes some good points.

But this is a piece of political advocacy, not a balanced treatise. Forbes needs to be both the political leader and the strong diplomat. While we should stand behind all of our alliances, we should also make clear to our allies that there are conditions.

If Japan provokes China, we will not back them. If Japan fails to negotiate settlements with China in good faith, we will not back them.

And if Japan seeks our backing, they must publicly own up to, and apologize to the Chinese people for the atrocities committed against them in the name of the Chrysanthemum Throne prior to 1945. Failure to do any of that undermines our legitimacy in the eyes of not just the people of China, but of the people in Asia as a whole.

There are no white hats in Northeast Asia. We cannot ignore China’s creeping hegemony, but we cannot ignore the slow-motion effort of Japan’s militant right wing to rewrite history, either. Before we decide to throw our full weight behind one side or the other in this conflict, let us make certain we are acting in accordance with all of our values, not just one.