The Senkaku Islands and Japan
165exercise of national jurisdiction within EEZ only in terms of resource
development and environment protection.
Three Pillars of Abe’s Defense Policy
Thanks to securing the majority in both houses,^11 Shinzǀ Abe’s
administration gained favorable conditions for maintaining a stable
government. Prime Minister Abe insists there is a compelling need to
make the Japan-U.S. alliance stronger to keep the regional stability and
military balance between Japan and the PRC. Firstly, he stresses the
importance of exercising Japan’s right to collective defense, which
contrasts with the previous governments’ interpretation of collective
defense–that “Japan has the right, but no intention to exert it.” Secondly,
he emphasizes the importance of Japan establishing effective self-defense
capabilities for supporting the USA’s “rebalancing,” or strategic pivot,
towards Asia, and contributing to the functioning of their alliance. Thirdly,
development of a multilateral security network with Australia, India, and
other Asian countries is also quite a keen interest of the Abe
administration, for hedging Chinese naval activities and China’s influence
in the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, Abe emphasized the importance of
Japan becoming a “proactive contributor to peace” based on the three
pillars, instead of being a passive free rider of security and stability
supplied to Japan by the United States.
Reinforcement of the Japan-U.S. alliance
The official standpoint of the United States regarding the current problem
over Senkaku is that they have recognized Japan’s effective control over
Senkaku since 1895, but have kept a distance from any intervention in the
“territorial dispute” between Japan and the PRC. The United States also
has declared and confirmed that Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security
Treaty also applies to the Senkaku Islands. The Article defines the
common defense area as any area the Japanese administration has a right
to, and stipulates America’s contribution to defend it. That is why Abe
emphasizes the importance of paving the way for exercising the right to
collective defense in order to strengthen the alliance, although he
faces stubborn opposition from the Japanese society.
(^11) The Liberal Democratic Party led by Shinzǀ ABE won a lower house election in
December 2012 and the ABE administration also achieved a triumph at the Upper
house election in July 2013.