politics

U.S. hopes for Japan reforms, better ties with neighbors

29 Comments

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© 2013 AFP

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29 Comments
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? I am not getting the connection here.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Fat chance! Not with Abe at the helm...

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Haaaa, you gotta laugh a bit! Wishful thinking here...

1 ( +4 / -3 )

that optimism will turn to disdain soon enough

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"If this is a step that will help facilitate greater continuity of leadership in Japan, I think it will be welcome(d) by all of Japan’s friends," said Danny Russel, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia.

Why do we need a d after welcome?

The United States was upbeat Monday about possible economic reforms in Japan after an election win by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s party but cautioned against steps that would increase regional tension.

I wonder what kind of "tension" they are talking about. It has no risk of developing into any serious conflict.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

The United States was upbeat Monday

The whole United States was upbeat... I doubt that. Pretty crappy writing.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

It has no risk of developing into any serious conflict.

I think the risk is rather high, actually. China's economic growth at this point is almost completely fake. It is approaching the end of the same type of credit bubble that Japan faced twenty years ago, except the GDP/capita of China is that of a third world country, with a autocratic regime. It's a perfect witches' brew for revanchist expansionism.

According to economists I've read, and I can provide links if requested, China might enter deflation this year. That will certainly be followed by an even harder line by the PRC in hopes of quelling unrest.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Political dogma and lip service.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The tension help Japanese united around Abe, and Chinese united around communist play...somebody are play fire...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Let the containment of China begin. I'm down with it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Just because a diplomat says they are excited does not mean America is excited, on the contrary most Americans are not excited about this as it will lead the Japanese economy to ruin. It seems that wisdom is lost with politicians as they can not learn from past mistakes and can not learn from other countries mistakes. When wages do not rise with the inflation or the prices it will bring mass poverty and the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. Only those who run corporations or are receiving the increased taxes will get richer. Look at America which was once the richest country in the world, after several years of this economic folly of tax and spend the poverty rate has increased to 40% and is rising. If you want to know the figures go to the USA dept of labor or one of the other sites, 46% of people receive some form of welfare now and the unemployment rate is not 7% due to the fact that the other 30% can no linger receive unemployment and have fallen through the cracks. I have not seen any improvement with Abenomics except the stock market rise which has not put people to work. There has been no increase in exports and imports are getting much higher but the politicians do not care because they get the tax dollars and everyone else can pay for their luxury.

3 ( +6 / -2 )

And Japan obediently docile to its glorious serf's master.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Whether Japan likes it or not they do need to increase bilateral agreements with China and North Korea. Japan needs their money and their workforce. Abenomics will fail miserably without an influx of international money cos he can't keep increasing taxes on people who are already over taxed. There is no money in Japan for him to scalp to support his economic policies.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Japan and EU have been cozy. USA does not realize it is promoting Asia + EU against USA.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

"Whether Japan likes it or not they do need to increase bilateral agreements with China and North Korea. Japan needs their money..."

I think you mean 'South Korea'. North Korea has no money.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Japan need to have more ties with East Europe :)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The United States was upbeat Monday about possible economic reforms in Japan after an election win by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s party

Actually, most of America was blissfully unaware that there was any political happenings in Japan, a country with leaders that ignore U.S. Congressional resolutions concerning Japan's refusal to admit or apologize to war time sex slaves.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Actually, most of America was blissfully unaware that there was any political happenings in Japan, a country with leaders that ignore U.S. Congressional resolutions concerning Japan's refusal to admit or apologize to war time sex slaves.

First of all, the leaders of country A are pretty much always going to ignore "resolutions" issued by the legislature of country B. You can replace the variables with any two countries on the face of the planet and the statement will invariably hold true.

Secondly, Japan has apologized many times over its actions during WWII, but apparently some Americans are "blissfully unaware" of that fact as well. Some of those "blissfully unaware" Americans even post here on JT.

Why do we need a d after welcome?

Stuff in parenthesis is usually added by an editor. In this case, the quote needed correction and the editor corrected it. I don't know the exact terminology to use, but because the clause includes the future-tense of the "to be" verb, things like "welcome" need to end in "ed". ...And there is the pain of a native English speaker... I can tell you what is the correct usage, but I can't tell you WHY it is the correct usage. It just "always has been that way" to me.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

More rich. More poor. Everywhere

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"Japan and EU have been cozy."

Is that why the Japanese airlines, under pressure from their gov't, refuse to buy Airbus airliners?

The EU has about the same number of trade complaints against Japan as the US does.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Toshiko Jul. 24, 2013 - 02:24AM JST Wall was gone and Germany was united. Marxism was gone there. Ever since then, Japan built friendly *economicallyy ties. It still does. USA? too busy in Arabic countries.

Problem is Japan did not intensify its effort to increase Japan’s soft power until the country’s hard power was in relative decline. Seen from this perspective, Japan’s soft power is based more on its dwindling economy and a lack of other viable policies. Japan’s economic problem will continue and its politicians looks incompetent. Japan’s problem is that its future importance is declining across the board.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

We Japanese could not be more grateful for this patronizing condescension. We also wish the US will develop into a society with social harmony, privacy and other sacred Constitutional values. Of course it would be presumptuous of us to suggest reforms, for example to limit guns or double taxation of our expatriate guests. We nonetheless await further directives from our superiors with bated breath.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

We Japanese could not be more grateful for this patronizing condescension.

Yeah... the "Japanese" are not some sort of a single entity where you represent the entire Japanese population... There is no "we" here. You represent only yourself.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

When China and Japan become very friendly, both countries can demand USA to pay off bonds these countries hold to expedite USA bankruptcy.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

When China and Japan become very friendly, both countries can demand USA to pay off bonds these countries hold to expedite USA bankruptcy.

You know it's funny... because without Japan buying US treasury bonds, the US dollars will no longer become the reserve currency... and China is helping this too. Japan and China buying bonds is what keeps the US economy alive and running. China and Japan are also allowing the US to place their military bases all over the world by buying their bonds. In effect, China and Japan are paying for the US military.

People need to realize that Japan and China actually have the US by the balls. Actually, they're all inter-dependent in this weird trilateral relationship that they have going. And the US is about to turn China into a hypothetical enemy (due to the need to keep the military-industrial complex alive, they couldn't have hoped for a better enemy than China after the collapse of the Soviets) and go all-on offensive on China. We live in an interesting, if not potentially dangerous and disastrous, times.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

US knows that they are the key factor in lowering tension in the region through commitment to their allies and with out them tension may get out of control.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Japan and China buying bonds is what keeps the US economy alive and running."

No, it isn't. Foreign debt is only about 10-15% of the total, and the interest rates on 10yr US treasuries is a very manageable 2.5%. The most recent bond auctions have seen robust demand. If Japan and China didn't buy the bonds, many others would, conceivably with only slight upticks in the yield.

This worldview is getting old. After many years, none of its predictions have ever come true. Time to go out and find another conspiracy theory.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

When China and Japan become very friendly, both countries can demand USA to pay off bonds these countries hold to expedite USA bankruptcy.

A vast majority of US debt is owed to Americans not to foreign entities.

Moreover, Japan is far closer to "bankruptcy" then the US when examining the GDP to debt ratio.

The US public debt is currently at 113% of GDP while Japan's public debt is expected to hit 230% of GDP by 2014.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

This worldview is getting old. After many years, none of its predictions have ever come true. Time to go out and find another conspiracy theory.

Agreed JeffLee. The notion that % of TB owned is some sort of "deed of trust" to a real estate surfaced when China increased her purchased surpassing that of Japan few years ago.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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