By Liu Yisi

刘一思

On April 14, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida concluded a nearly week-long visit to the US. During the visit, the two sides set the tone for the adjustment of Japan-US alliance. To loosen the restraints on Japan's military expansion and combat preparedness, the US further intensified its alliance system with itself at the core by strengthening its ties with Japan. Analysts commented that the relevant moves would drive the Japan-US alliance to veer toward a more dangerous direction.

4月14日，日本首相岸田文雄结束对美国为期近一周的访问。访问期间，双方确定了日美同盟调整基调。美有意为日扩军备战“松绑”，通过强化日美同盟关系进一步织密以美国为核心的联盟网络。分析人士表示，相关动向将加速日美同盟向更加危险的方向转变。

They reaffirmed the commitments on the Japan-US Security Treaty for enhanced joint deterrence. The joint statement issued by the two sides emphasized the role of the above treaty as a cornerstone in bilateral relations, unabashedly exhibiting the deterrence of their alliance against China. The two parties declared to improve alliance mechanisms for seamless coordination, including establishing a new "joint command" for the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), upgrading the US Forces Japan command, strengthening intelligence sharing and base construction, and amplifying the deployment of reconnaissance, firepower, logistics and other forces in the southwest region. Their enhanced cooperation in command, intelligence, military industry and more fields has posed serious threats to regional security and stability.

重申安保条约承诺，提升联合威慑能力。双方发表的联合声明强调《日美安保条约》在双边关系中的核心支柱作用，毫不遮掩同盟关系的对华威慑色彩。双方表示，将完善同盟无缝协调的机制保障，相关举措包括自卫队新设“统合司令部”，驻日美军司令部升格，加强情报共享与基地建设，增强西南地区侦察、火力、后勤等力量部署。双方在指挥、情报、军工等领域提升合作水平，给地区安全稳定带来严重威胁。

The US instigated Japan to enhance its military expansion and war preparedness so as to assume more obligations of the alliance. Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once compared the Japan-US security framework to a "bottle stopper" that could prevent the reemergence of Japanese militarism. However, to deal with the imaginary threats, the US has constantly made compromises with Japan, and even shown tolerance towards Japan’s liberation from the shackles of the "exclusively defense-oriented" principle and acquisition of mid-range and long-range strike capabilities. At the end of 2022, Japan released a new version of the three national security documents proposing to increase its defense budget to 2% of GDP for the development of stand-off defense capabilities. During Kishida's visit to the US, the two sides declared to "elevate their defense ties to unprecedented levels." Moreover, a joint statement issued by the two countries said that the US would provide technological support for Japan to effectively develop and employ the counterattack capabilities of the latter. In the face of Japan's perilous transition from defense to offense, the US seems to have forgotten the painful lessons of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Analysts believe that the US's enticing Japan to revive the illusion of becoming a military power essentially aims at further binding the latter to its own chariot. Nonetheless, such a move is tantamount to a poisoned chalice carrying the potential for detrimental consequences that harm both the US itself and others.

鼓动日本扩军备战，承担更多同盟义务。美国前国务卿基辛格曾将日美安保体制比作防止日本再度军国主义化的“瓶塞”。然而，为了应对想象中的“威胁”，美国不断对日妥协，甚至对日突破“专守防卫”原则束缚、掌握中远程打击能力持纵容态度。2022年底，日本出台新版“安保三文件”，提出将防卫预算提升至占GDP的2%，掌握所谓“防区外防卫能力”。此次岸田访美，双方声称要将“防务关系提升至前所未有水平”。更有甚者，两国发表的联合声明提出，美将为日提供技术支持以有效发展并运用日本的“反击能力”。面对日本转“守”为“攻”的危险动向，美国似乎忘记了“珍珠港事件”的惨痛教训。分析人士认为，美国引诱日本重燃“军事大国”幻梦，根本目的是将日本进一步捆绑到自己战车上，但此举无异于“饮鸩止渴”，有可能带来害己害人的危险后果。

They aimed to form a dense alliance and partnership network, which might aggravate the regional bloc confrontation. During Kishida's visit to the US, the two sides proclaimed to build a US-Japan-Australia networked air defense architecture, boost US-Japan-ROK annual military exercises on the basis of the 2023 Camp David Summit, and regularly hold US-Japan-UK trilateral exercises from 2025. Japan and the US have expanded their alliance by developing mini-lateral relationship with the Philippines, Australia, the ROK and other countries, in a bid to strengthen the US-led regional security cooperation mechanism. With the further expansion of the US alliance and partnership in the Indo-Pacific, the military cooperation among the relevant countries, especially at the equipment interoperability level, is likely to be significantly elevated in a short time, and the regional bloc confrontation will also be exacerbated.

织密盟友伙伴网络，加剧地区阵营对抗。此次岸田访美，双方表示将打造美日澳网络化防空体系，在2023年“戴维营会晤”基础上助推美日韩年度军演，自2025年起定期举办美日英三边演习。日美拓展同盟关系，发展美日菲、美日澳、美日韩等“小多边”关系，强化美国主导的地区安全合作机制。随着美在印太地区的盟友伙伴网络进一步拓展，相关国家军队之间的军事合作特别是装备互操作水平很可能在短时间内获得较大提升，地区阵营对抗也将进一步加剧。

It is not difficult to see that the Japan-US summit chanted the mantra of "freedom and openness" while brandishing the flag of "order and rules," but their actual behaviors revolved around causing disturbances and inciting conflicts. The two countries vaunted that their alliance has been "elevated to unprecedented levels", but virtually its adverse impact on regional security and stability has also reached an unparalleled extent, which deserves high vigilance from the international community.

不难看出，日美首脑会谈喊着“自由开放”的口号，打着“秩序规则”的旗号，干的却是搅局生事的勾当。日美吹嘘双方同盟关系“提升至前所未有水平”，实则该同盟对地区安全稳定的负面影响达到了前所未有的程度，国际社会应予以高度警惕。