[TigerLikesRooster]

Despite his setbak in domestic politics, Abe still keeps his momentum in international/security affairs.

This is an open challenge by Japan to China. Sure, this kind of idea has been around for a while. However, it has not been openly and unambiguously spelled out by a head of state.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Southack]

Game-changing speech (though many have seen it coming for years)!

[Sherman Logan]

Nit. He’s the head of government, not the head of state.

In Japan, the Emperor is the head of state.

[Gay State Conservative]

Mr Abe clearly hasn’t watched footage from certain “events” of June 1989 recently.But it’s good to hear that some major players on the world stage really get it regarding China (and,hopefully,other countries).

[Free Vulcan]

Screw Europe. Go west young man, and throw in the smaller Asian tigers too.

[AmericanInTokyo]

<<大東亜共栄圏>>, banzai! (Just kidding).

This will be interesting.

[JasonC]

I'll go it one better. Challenge the Chinese to liberalize and create real democracy over the next ten years. The reward is continued good relations and trade with all the countries mentioned, and no objection to a peaceful, voluntary reunion with Taiwan.

Tear down this wall style...

[I slam Islam]

Aren’t they going to let North Korea join the club?

[Wiz]

Trans-Pacific Trans-Indian Ocean alliance ping!

[MARKUSPRIME]

Excellent news. The chicoms must be contained.

[redgolum]

How is it being received by other countries? I understand that there is still some bad blood over WWII.

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!

[Cacique]

btt

[Iris7]

Chinese attack on the Japanese yen carry trade last week has really frightened the Japanese ruling class. About ten days ago the Yen hit 111 Yen / US Dollar. Since then the Bank of Japan has been in continuous plenary session and Toyota et. al. are looking at insolvency.

In case one is curious, most of the “sub-prime mortgage collateralized obligation” ruckus is due to Japan getting super cheap access to the US market (120 - 130 Yen / US Dollar) and China getting the “strengthen the Yuan” and “level the playing field” tariff threatening rhetoric. The Chinese stopped buying new CDO paper in May - June with the result that the US and European banks in the last three weeks needed one trillion dollars in "emergency" funding to stay open.

The Chinese lack the dollar reserves to pull this off by themselves, I think; as I read things petroleum producing government dollar reserves were pulled out of the CDO market on and just previous to July 17th with the results we have all seen. These dollar reserves are something like ten - fifteen times larger than China's.

I don't think we will see much of dumb as rocks US politicians talking about putting tariffs and "health inspections" on Chinese goods for a while. Probably we have seen the last of the poisoned pet food - lead paint on Mattel toys type stories too. The Chinese showed us unmistakably that they can crash the US and international banking system at will and WILL NOT be pushed around.

"Crashing the banking system" is the same thing as "almost all really rich people are suddenly without a nickel." Not exaggerating.

[IslandJeff]

Sad that such pan-global visions no longer originate in the USA.

Re-arm Japan and turn them loose.