The April 28 summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington can be viewed as a success from the standpoint of the Japan-U.S. alliance pitted against China. The more ready Beijing becomes to tighten its one-party dictatorship and take actions sometimes seen as ignoring international law, the greater significance the Japan-U.S. alliance assumes.
Abe and Obama confirmed that their two countries share universal values such as democracy, rule of law and human rights, and agreed to seek an early conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which excludes China. Their defense and foreign affairs ministers also worked out new "guidelines for Japan-U.S. defense cooperation" — all aimed at further reinforcing the bilateral alliance.
Prior to meeting with Obama, Abe attended a summit of leaders in Jakarta on April 22 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung, Java. There he expressed Japan's "feelings of deep remorse over the past war" and pledged that Japan will adhere to the principles of "refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country" and "settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means," which were adopted by the Bandung Conference in 1955.
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