Obama Not to Commit Direct Military Involvement if China Takes Diaoyus by Force

Obama shaking hands with Abe

It is very interesting that China’s official media CRI Online’s version of US President Obama’s words in reply to a reporter’s question what should be done if China sent troops to the Diaoyu Islands is quite different from the version in White House Office of Press Secretary’s Immediate Release on April 24.

CRI Onlne says in its special report: According a report on the news website of Japan’s NHK on April 24, when Obama was asked “whether US troops will be directly involved if China takes military action for the Diaoyu Islands”, Obama said that not all military conflicts require US troops’ involvement.

First the reporter’s question is quite different in White House’s version. In the Immediate Release, the question is “in regards to the Senkaku (known as Diaoyu in China) Islands, I just want to make sure that this is absolutely clear. Are you saying that the U.S. would consider using military force were China to have some sort of military incursion in those islands to protect those islands?”

In the Immediate Release, Obama replied, “With respect to the other issues that you raise, our position, Jim, the United States’ position is that countries should abide by international law; that those laws, those rules, those norms are violated when you gas children, or when you invade the territory of another country. Now, the implication of the question I think is, is that each and every time a country violates one of those norms the United States should go to war, or stand prepared to engage militarily, and if it doesn’t then somehow we’re not serious about those norms. Well, that’s not the case.”

Obama’s answer in the above paragraph is absolutely unclear. He said before the questions and answers section of the press conference, “We don’t take a position on final sovereignty determinations with respect to Senkakus”. Since the US does not regard the islands as Japanese territory, if China takes military action, it is not invasion of another country’s territory, but the resolution of territorial dispute by force. Therefore, what Obama said about a country violating on of those norms is entirely irrelevant.

It is not a case that “each and every time a country violates one of those norms the United States should go to war, or stand prepared to engage militarily”.

Obama said nothing about whether the US “would consider using military force”. What he made clear was that it is even less necessary for the US to be militarily involved as China’s invasion of the Diaoyus does not violate any of the norms he referred to.

However according to CRI Online’s version Obama produced a forced smile at the reporters question what should be done if China sent troops to the Diaoyu Islands and said, “that is a very difficult question that I am afraid I am unable to answer. The treaty between the United States and Japan preceded my birth; therefore, I am ignorant of lots of its background. I only believe that according to the tenets of the treaty, the territories under the administration of Japan are covered under the treaty.

“However, I’ve stressed in my talks with the Prime Minister that there should be no escalation of the confrontation between Japan and China and it is necessary to develop measures to improve Japan-Chinese relations. The U.S. is willing to provide diplomatic assistance.” In addition, Obama said, “Not all military conflicts require US military involvement.”

I do not know whether CRI Online’s version is an inaccurate translation of NHK report. If so it is the Japanese media that has distorted Obama’s words. Otherwise, it is the Chinese media that gives a distorted report to show that Obama was troubled by the question of whether the US has any intention to be militarily involved in the dispute over the islands that Obama referred to as “rocks”. It wants to show that Obama’s dilemma: He wants to assure Japan that the US will honor its commitments while he has no intention at all to be militarily involved if China takes the “rocks” by force. Why? It is simply not worthwhile. Who is so stupid as to shed his country’s youngsters’ blood for another country’s “rocks”.

That was precisely what I wrote in my post “US Not Willing to Be Drawn into War by Japan or Philippines” on February 11, 2014.

White House’s Immediate Release, however, displays Obama’s skill to hide his dilemma.

Source: CRI Online “Reporter: What if China sends troops to the Diaoyu Islands? Obama produced a forced smile” (summary by Chan Kai Yee based on the report in Chinese”

Related posts:

• Japan, US differ on China in talks on ‘grey zone’ military threats dated March 10, 2014
• China says no room for compromise with Japan on history, territory dated March 8, 2014
• China Has Made Full Preparations for War with Japan dated March 3, 2014
• China Gives Order to Commence War with Japan ‘if It Is Appropriate to Fight’ dated February 23, 2014
• US Not Willing to Be Drawn into War by Japan or Philippines dated February 11, 2014
• The US Will Be the Biggest Winner if Japan Is Defeated by China in the War dated February 5, 2014
• The Mystery of What Biden Has Got in His Beijing Visit dated December 6, 2013

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