By Ma Jie, Qi Wei, Richard Smart
TOKYO, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama wrapped up on Saturday a maiden two-day visit to Japan after assuming office in January. Though his trip has created plenty on good will and reaffirmed the alliance between the two nations, analysts believe it lacked concrete agreements when a Democratic Party of Japan government is trying to build a more equal relationship with Washington.
"Obama's tour will be high on rhetoric, with broad policy statements, reaffirming ties with Japan and showing the region is rising up the White House's foreign policy agenda and political agenda," said IHS Global Analytics analyst Sarah McDowall on Saturday. "But it is an important visit. When he leaves the Asian sphere, if the continent feels that he has expressed a commitment to the region and that he wants to have more comprehensive engagement with it, then that is quite a significant public relations coup for Washington."
During his stay, Obama held an 80-minute summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and delivered a speech on U.S. policy toward Asia.
Calling himself the "first Pacific president," Obama looks to strengthen old alliances, including the alliance with Japan, which is entering the 50th year in two months, and build new partnerships with the nations of the region to cope with challenges of the 21st century.
Amid growing concern among Japanese that the White House is shifting the focus of its Asian policy to China from Japan and the Japanese new government's row with Washington on the issue of relocation of American troops, Obama reaffirmed the emphasis his government had put on the U.S.-Japanese relations, reminding his audience of the facts that Japanese Prime Minister was the first foreign head of state that he invited to the White House, as well as that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's first visit overseas was to Japan.
"In the half century the alliance has become a foundation for security and prosperity," Obama said.
But, the Japanese media, in particular, has focused on the issue of American troops in Okinawa, with 8,000 expected to stay there after 2012 based upon a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by the former governing Liberal Democratic Party and the U.S. administration of President George W. Bush. This agreement is opposed by many of the Japanese public, and the governing Democratic Party of Japan has said it would like to see the pact reassessed and even see the troops move out of Okinawa or Japan.
Obama said he and Hatoyama had agreed to move expeditiously through a joint working group to implement the agreement that the two governments reached on restructuring U.S. forces in Okinawa. However, McDowall doubted that and believed the issue will not be seriously discussed until sometime next year.
"I think that was more of a gesture to say that they had done something, and had come up with a working strategy to deal with the issue, but I don't think that it represents a significant development," McDowall said. "The Japanese government is still working out its own policy on the issue. I don't think anyone was expecting a concrete decision to come out of Obama's trip. They will deal with the issue next year."
On a February visit to Asia, Hillary Clinton said she hoped to see ties with China develop further, and Obama restated that aim during his visit to Japan.
"It is important to pursue pragmatic cooperation with China on issues of mutual concern, because no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century alone," Obama said in his Asian policy speech on Saturday, adding the U.S. does not seek to contain China and the rise of a strong and prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations.
McDowall saw this as being a gesture that was to be expected from the U.S. president. "Obama's speech broadly set out the tone for the future, but I don't think there were any major surprises," she said.
On the issue of nuclear nonproliferation, Obama was careful to emphasize the six-party talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
The president offered to support the DPRK if it returns to the six-party talks and upholds previous commitments, including a return to the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty and the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
"Obama is now putting a lot more emphasis on six-party talks," McDowall said. "Especially after Washington has basically agreed to bilateral talks. Earlier in the year, Obama was saying they wouldn't agree to do that, that the only forum they would use would be six-party negotiations. He doesn't want to be seen to be negotiating with a country like North Korea (DPRK), which many Americans see as blackmailing."
McDowall also expected few surprises from the rest of Obama's Asian swing, which will take him to Singapore, China, and South Korea, but said the tour will emphasize the new priority the region has taken on for the White House.
