Abe’s visit to the U.S. stimulated Japan’s assertiveness while giving Tokyo a pass on taking serious responsibility for its colonial oppression and aggression against its Asian neighbors. The U.S. could do more to nudge its ally to acknowledge its history and to be a promoter of peace in the region.

In the new phase of the U.S. rebalancing strategy, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, stressed military capacity building, the acceleration of TPP negotiations, and increased use of the U.S.’s network of allies and partners. This will create more unnecessary tension, imbalance, and estranged economic Free Trade Agreements.

With US-Japan military cooperation as its main pillar, the deepening US military involvement in Asia goes against the world tide of peace and development, and against the will of the Asian people. The American government would do well to study the lessons of history as it cements its partnership with Tokyo.

China’s expanding engagement with Latin American and the Caribbean has mostly in the form of massive investment and financial assistance – “checkbook diplomacy” – which contrasts with the emphasis on governance issues like democracy, human rights, corruption, and the rule of law that comes with economic reliance on Washington.

"Albert Speer's Grandson Addresses Joint Session Of Congress." Can you imagine that headline? I can't either, particularly if Speer's grandson had devoted much of his life to rehabilitating his grandfather's image, was on record as being sympathetic to Holocaust deniers and had used his political base among Germany's neo-Nazis as the springboard to secure the prime ministership.

The significance of President Xi Jinping attending the May 9th Victory Day celebration in Moscow, has much to do with the role Japan has been playing in deteriorating the East Asian security. The Chinese government seeks to reinforce the negative harm that fascism inflicted on during WWII, and also further support its economic ties with Russia.

Abe’s expansion of Japan’s military capabilities—even within the new “guidelines”—could allow later American administrations, realizing that U.S. strategic interest demand non-confrontational relations with China, to conclude that Japan does need or warrant defense by the United States.

Japan’s PM Abe’s amnesia toward past military crimes and general xenophobia calls into question whether a U.S. alliance with Japan is in the U.S.’s best interest – especially in dealing with the challenges on the Korean peninsula.

Despite a recent Pew Research survey indicated that two-thirds of Japanese do not want a more active military, Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the U.S. saw the release of new “Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation,” which risks U.S. involvement in Japan’s territorial claims.

Japan’s leader made a good show out of his US visit, but the struggle to nail down a TTP deal actually highlighted deep differences between the two countries. Meanwhile, Japan’s stance on revising history continues to irritate many in Washington as it does across Asia.