In an event of a conflict between Chinese and American armed forces, Japan can provide logistical and rear-area support for the United States under the principle of collective security. With Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of the Joint Staff of the Japanese SDF, expressing his country’s willingness to partake in joint patrols in the area, Japan is poised to have a more constant and precarious military presence in the South China Sea. Japan can also indirectly support its chief Southeast Asian strategic partner, the Philippines, if the latter is involved in a military confrontation with China. Under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the United States is obliged to come to the Philippines’ rescue if the troops and vessels of its Southeast Asian ally come under attack within the Pacific theatre. This means, any Chinese armed conflict with the Philippines could involve the United States as well as Japan, which, under the principle of collective security, can provide auxiliary support. No wonder then, top Filipino officials openly welcomed the recent passage of Japan’s security bill.

As Japan (once again) assumes a pivotal role in preserving regional security, it has become more important than ever for the Abe administration to unequivocally dispel any fears over a remilitarization of Japan and push back against any expression of historical revisionism among his political allies. This is why Abe’s apology statement in August -- which admitted that Imperial Japan "took the wrong course and advanced along the road to war", used terms such as "deep remorse" (tsusetsu na hansei) and "apology" (owabi), and called Japanese people across generations to “squarely face the history of the past" – represented a crucial step in normalizing Japan’s role in the region. Although a lot more is still to be desired, especially when it comes to appeasing Japan’s neighbors in Northeast Asia. But one thing is clear: China’s ostensible quest for regional hegemony has ended Japan’s strategic oblivion, paving the way for a new era in Japanese foreign policy. 

Richard Javad Heydarian is an Assistant Professor in international affairs and political science at De La Salle University, and previously served as a policy advisor at the Philippine House of Representatives. As a specialist on Asian geopolitics and economic affairs, he has written for or interviewedbyAl Jazeera, Asia Times, BBC, Bloomberg, Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, The Diplomat, The Financial Times, and USA TODAY, among other leading international publications. He is the author of How Capitalism Failed the Arab World: The Economic Roots and Precarious Future of the Middle East Uprisings (Zed, London), and the forthcoming book Asia’s New Battlefield: US, China, and the Struggle for Western Pacific (Zed, 2015). You can follow him on Twitter: @Richeydarian.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Cp9asngf