Obama says Senkaku islands covered by security treaty

For this remark, which they can retract anytime, the US wants more access of their products in Japan??

As it should be.

The Chinese Communist party, in a direct extension of how it has controlled and manipulated the Chinese people, has shown a tendency to make stuff up and try to change the goal posts to suit it's agenda.

Unfortunately for them, the rest of the world is not stupid and is availed of the wonders of free thought and reason, and can see that these islands are Japanese territory.

So the real question now is - how will China handle this? Will common sense prevail, or will pride and ego push the envelope?

Unfortunately, I think the latter.

No. This remark is exactly the same as it always has been, repeated by various US officials. It is not part of the trade agreement.

Actually Obama made it VERY clear that in exchange for security assurances, he demanded that trade restrictions be eased. This is all about the TPP, nothing more nothing less. Obama will sell out Japan to the Chinese unless Japan enters the TPP, which is VERY unpopular in this country. He wants nothing less than that. And even if Japan does enter the TPP, there's no guarantee that Obama will commit those forces to help Japan deal with the Chinese.

Obama WILL go to China. He WILL tell them one of two things - either assure that he won't get the US involved, or he'll politically back China, just to appease them. Chinese appeasement has kept him, Clinton when this whole thing began and now Kerry, and Kennedy from doing ANYTHING even remotely close to honoring the security agreement.

A Chinese government spokesman has said China has “indisputable sovereignty” over the islands

According to Chinese authorities China has indisputable sovereignty over at least half the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately it's only seen like that by one country. But China doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/27/chinese-passport-row-diplomatic-dispute

TOKYO — U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday that he wants to see a dispute between China and Japan over islands in the East China Sea resolved peacefully, while affirming that America’s mutual security treaty with Japan applies to the islands.

Agree with Obama and the best way. International Court of Justice is the answer for this. I was hoping Obama will brought up ICJ in his visit. Hopefully,he said it soon.

Yeah! You tell China that their aggression won't be tolerated! Good to see the US finally taking a harder line against China, its about damn time someone put this menace in its place!

“We want to continue to encourage the peaceful rise of China,” Obama said.

Oh...nevermind. Maybe Japan should begin to seriously consider getting rid of Article 9...also, probably start scaling back reliance on the US military, too.

Uh-Oh (.com) ; can you say " LIVE FIRE exercise " ?

Actually Obama made it VERY clear that in exchange for security assurances, he demanded that trade restrictions be eased. This is all about the TPP, nothing more nothing less. Obama will sell out Japan to the Chinese unless Japan enters the TPP, which is VERY unpopular in this country. He wants nothing less than that. And even if Japan does enter the TPP, there's no guarantee that Obama will commit those forces to help Japan deal with the Chinese.

Obama WILL go to China. He WILL tell them one of two things - either assure that he won't get the US involved, or he'll politically back China, just to appease them. Chinese appeasement has kept him, Clinton when this whole thing began and now Kerry, and Kennedy from doing ANYTHING even remotely close to honoring the security agreement.

Nonesense. The defense agreement has absolutely nothing to do with TPP, and Obama has more to worry from his own party in the US than from Japanese demands regarding its success. The fact that you name every major Democratic party leader as anti-Japan/pro-China is a clear tell that your statement is less analysis than demagoguery

I salute you Mr. President!

Easy said and done, let wait and see.

Actually Obama made it VERY clear that in exchange for security assurances, he demanded that trade restrictions be eased. This is all about the TPP, nothing more nothing less.

Nonsense, even Obama is not that stupid. The existing treaty covers the Senkaku islands as they were under American administration (after the Japanese surrender) until being specifically returned to Japan. As these islands are officially recognized as Japanese territory by America, they fall under the defense treaty obligations. Obama cannot try to leverage a trade deal by modifying a treaty which, as he says, was wrtiiten before he was born.

Great that Obama made a clear cut stand.

Later Thursday, Obama plans to return to the Imperial Palace for a state dinner.

I wonder what he'll have for dinner. I'm 100% sure his dessert is something with Matcha/Green Tea. He said, he loves matcha ice cream when he was a kid.

Lucky he was not there then fighting. Next statement will be that he eats whale meat every day so does his dogs. When is he going to supply assistance for cleaning up the Radiation leaks his countrymen are complaining about .

President Barack Obama words,

"We don't take a position on final sovereignty determinations with respect to Senkaku, but historically they have been administered by Japan and we do not believe that they should be subject to change unilaterally and what is a consistent part of the alliance is that the treaty covers all territories administered by Japan,"

.......Reuters

President Obama has finally gone on record that the Senkaku islands (by name) are covered by mutual security treaty.

Both Obama and Abe clearly instructed their senior negotiators to find at least consensus on a trade agreement that is crucial to the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. The Trans-Pacific Partnership deal could provide the bow for Abe third arrow. Both have been waxing lyrical about TPP, Obama keeps insisting it is a key element to the so called 'pivot', Abe's insists TPP is essential for economic growth.

In many ways Senkaku has taken centre stage, allowing TPP to play second fiddle, so big fail there, and a missed another missed opportunity, President Barack Obama says it all.

'Mr. Abe's got to deal with his politics, I've got to deal with mine, we have to sometimes push our constituencies beyond their current comfort levels, because ultimately it's going to deliver greater good for our people'.

I'm going to be pissed off if the U.S. gets involved with a Japan-China dispute over some far-flung islands.

Mr.Serrano, Are you new to this island issue? It has been reported that the Senkaku island has large natural oil deposit lying beneath its surface. Before the discovery, Japan was administering it in peace until China found out about the possible hidden treasure. It was never China's interest and now their aiming it back for their greedy ambitions. Since the Senkaku island is covered by the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, it's the U.S.'s responsibility to keep its promise.

This still needs to be handled carefully and do not think china will just cop that on the chin, they will still want dispute the islands and make background noise, and could quite possibly call the Obama admin's bluff.

Stay tuned

Oh, well, that settles it! China can now gracefully back down, I suppose.

Obama and the US also said that Crimea was an "inalienable part of Ukraine", and talked pretty tough. Hows things going there? I suspect what the US says may no longer be taken as seriously by the Chinas and Russias as they once were. I'm hopeful nothing will kick off in the region, however.

Byrakumindes. This is a different issue. Crimea has a majority of russian population and they had a referendum. I dont believe that fish can cast a vote.

SerranoApr. 24, 2014 - 08:27PM JST

I'm going to be pissed off if the U.S. gets involved with a Japan-China dispute over some far-flung islands.

Your comment suggests that you are nullifying US/Japan security treaty.

I am very pleased that President Obama made it very clear that the US/Japan Security Article 5 covers Senkakus.

Two US Secretaries of Defense and Secretaries of State have stated that the US will back Japan if China tries to take the Senkakus. Now the POTUS has stated the same. Yet the China supporters are continuing to flood the internet forums with the same old "The US won't do anything", "The US doesn't want to get dragged into..." nonsense.

"WASHINGTON — If the Chinese invaded the Senkaku Islands, U.S. Marines in the Pacific could recapture them, the commander of Marines in Japan said Friday."

http://www.stripes.com/news/top-marine-in-japan-if-tasked-we-could-retake-the-senkakus-from-china-1.277555

Good to see that Obama isn't paying any attention to the latest hissy fit from China.

Two US Secretaries of Defense and Secretaries of State have stated that the US will back Japan if China tries to take the Senkakus. Now the POTUS has stated the same. Yet the China supporters are continuing to flood the internet forums with the same old "The US won't do anything", "The US doesn't want to get dragged into..." nonsense.

It's a bit frustrating that posters here don't seem to grasp that the US-Japanese alliance is the single most important relationship the United States has in Asia.

"WASHINGTON — If the Chinese invaded the Senkaku Islands, U.S. Marines in the Pacific could recapture them, the commander of Marines in Japan said Friday."

The Chinese have been going there regularly for more than a year. Where is the US Marines?

It's a bit frustrating that posters here don't seem to grasp that the US-Japanese alliance is the single most important relationship the United States has in Asia.

Yes, Japan is an important protectorate of the US. However just because the Chinese have been going there regularly, it doesn't mean the US will lose its protectorate. The fact is the US needs pressure from the Chinese and Russians to make the Japanese feeling insecure so as to keep Japan as its protectorate.

However, the US must take all precaution to prevent a war from breaking out since it is likely to lose Japan no matter who wins.

They made a deal. In his statement though Obama seemed reluctant and said that islands were historically "administered" by Japan. This goes against the fact that they have been historically owned by China (Taiwan).

Guru29 Apr. 25, 2014 - 03:18AM JST Yes, Japan is an important protectorate of the US. The fact is the US needs pressure from the Chinese and Russians to make the Japanese feeling insecure so as to keep Japan as its protectorate.

The most important relationship for Japan is with its ally the U.S.? Without any hestitation that this is incorrect. Rather, the most important relationship for Japan is with China, and the preeminent importance, both relatively and absolutely of this relationship will only increase in the future. How much boycotting of Japanese products has been popular sentiment driven, and how much politically mandated and institutionalized, is hard to say. Certainly both factors have been at work. But the longer a serious Japan-China dispute continues, the more the latter become the reality and do great damage to Japan. The disparity will only increase in the future, particularly as China’s living standards, middle class purchasing power, and technological level rise, as they will certainly do, both relatively and absolutely.

What is Japan’s strategic goal? Have a good relationship with China and resolve the dispute in a peaceful way as defined in the friendship treaty with China so that both countries can fully benefit from cooperation, or contain China and diminish China’s role in the world affair? If Japan chooses the latter, what the cost would Japan prepare to pay? Presumably, Japan may think that she has technology advantages over China and can afford a war with China in Northeast Asia, or even in Southeast Asia. Presumably Japan thinks that she can keep that advantages forever and even expect China collapse by herself. Even better, Japan has allies. U.S. voluntarily offers to defend Japan so Japan can proactively explore that anytime, guaranteed. Japan has establish air identification zone but never recognizes a zone by China over Chinese own air space allowed by international laws.

Well done Obama.

Did the US just declare support for a terrorist nation's claim over territory acquired by terrorist acts in the past..or is this just a good time for the Chinese right wingers to stop with the anti-Japanese rants?

But imagine if the US did not openly support Japan's sovereignty over the Senkakus, the US would lose credibility with its ANPO commitments, those US military bases in Japan have far served US interests elsewhere in Asian (e.g. Vietnam, Iraq) and Uncle Sam don't want to lose those 'privileges' anytime soon.

Guru29Apr. 25, 2014 - 03:18AM JST "WASHINGTON — If the Chinese invaded the Senkaku Islands, U.S. Marines in the Pacific could recapture them, the commander of Marines in Japan said Friday."

The Chinese have been going there regularly for more than a year. Where is the US Marines?

The Marines are waiting for the PLA to show up, But China is afraid of sending them to the Senkakus.

NeoJamal Apr. 25, 2014 - 05:38AM JST But imagine if the US did not openly support Japan's sovereignty over the Senkakus, the US would lose credibility with its ANPO commitments.

U.S. does not support Japan's sovereignty. The U.S. has remained neutral regarding sovereignty of the Senkaku/Daioyu islands.

"The U.S. has remained neutral regarding sovereignty of the Senkaku/Daioyu islands"

Then the U.S. should stay the hell out of any military confrontations over them, no?

The Marines are waiting for the PLA to show up, But China is afraid of sending them to the Senkakus

Chinese military aircraft have been patrolling the airspace around the Diaoyu/Senkaku and ships from China Coast Guard have been patrolling the sea around the sea of Diaoyu/Senkaku. Since when did Japan or even the US try to stop them?

My take is as long as the Chinese action does not jeopardize US's control over Japan or in any way affect the deployment of US troops in Japan, a direct conflict between the US and China is unlikely.

We come to the aid of our allies. We do not fight wars for them. Once China invades any part of Japan, including the Senkakus, then the US will engage, assuming that Japan has taken the bull by the horns and is trying to protect itself.

If Japan acquiesces to a Chinese invasion of the Senkakus without fighting back, then the US will assume that Japan has OK'ed the process...without requiring the US to act, since we hold no position on the sovereignty of the Senkakus.

We're with you, but we're not in front of you. If you fight, we will fight with you. But you better be defending the Senkakus, not aggressing against China.