Japan Institute for National Fundamentals

　　　　　When U.S. President Barack Obama delivered his last State of the Union address on January 13, I felt dispirited that this president will take the helm of U.S. foreign and national security policies for one more year. His State of the Union address indicated the outgoing U.S. leader who is too busy with addressing an immediate task of fighting against the Islamic State and other radical Muslim groups to consider the key medium to long-term issue of a challenge from China among other emerging powers.

Obama disregards challenge from emerging powers
　　　　　I understand that there is an urgent need to counter terrorist attacks by the IS, its affiliates or supporters that have come one after another in the world. But if the United States is by far “the most powerful nation on Earth” as described proudly by Obama in the address, he should have come up with a State of the Union address that would demonstrate strategic thinking by rejecting challenging countries attempting to undermine the present rule-based international order led by the United States.
　　　　　Nevertheless, Obama indicated his disregard for China’s dangerous rise, saying: “I know this is a dangerous time. But that’s not primarily because of some looming superpower out there.” Another problematic remark in his address was: “In today’s world, we’re threatened less by evil empires and more by failing states.” The “evil empire” represents the word then President Ronald Reagan used in 1983 to clarify his confrontational attitude against the former Soviet Union. As Obama denied threats from evil empires, the world found that the United States has no intent to confront China or Russia.
　　　　　In the address, Obama also reiterated the United States would not become the world’s policeman. The word of the world’s policeman had been used to emphasize a superpower’s role of using force if necessary to maintain international security. However, Obama interpreted the world’s policeman as occupying and rebuilding whatever society is unraveling, rejecting the role of the United States as the world’s leader.

China goes on offensive with military realignment
　　　　　The latest State of the Union address apparently reflects that American politicians and general public, rather than President Obama personally, have little interest in the Asian situation at present. The address failed to touch on even the week-earlier North Korean nuclear explosion test that has posed serious threats to Japan and U.S. military bases in this country. Obama also refrained from raising the South China Sea situation where China is steadily militarizing artificial islands. The only Asia-related major development Obama referred to in the address was a broad agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement involving 12 countries including Japan and the United States that he took up as his administration’s achievement.
　　　　　China might have been pleased to see such vigorless U.S. attitude on Asia. China has just announced a People’s Liberation Army reform including the creation of the Strategic Support Force expected to undertake cyber and space wars and the reorganization of the Second Artillery Corps operating ballistic and cruise missiles into the Rocket Force.
　　　　　Sandwiched between the United States hesitating to engage in Asian security problems and China forging ahead with military expansion, Japan has been growingly required to shift away from sticking to the so-called “pacifist” Constitution.

Yasushi Tomiyama is Senior Fellow and Planning Committee Member at the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals.