Japan Wants Greater Security Guarantees From The U.S. In Their Confrontation With China

Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) destroyer Kurama (R) leads destroyer Hyuga as a Japanese naval flag flutters during a naval fleet review at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, south of Tokyo October 14, 2012. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao

Japan Seeks Tighter Pact With U.S. to Confront China -- New York Times

TOKYO — Japan’s defense minister, Satoshi Morimoto, said on Friday that he wanted to revise his nation’s security alliance with the United States to place more emphasis on the threat from China to islands at the center of a territorial dispute.

Mr. Morimoto said he wanted to update a set of guidelines that govern how the two allies’ militaries would cooperate during a crisis to include the potential for a maritime clash with China. Tensions between Japan and China have risen in recent months over the contested islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

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My Comment: Japan does not want to spend the money that they need to spend to counter China's growing military forces .... hence .... they are now running to the U.S. for support in their dispute with China. The U.S. is already under treaty obligations to help defend Japan .... but I guess the Japanese want to make sure on the details.