Far from caving in to calls for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Okinawa, the secretary asserted that the 47,000 U.S. troops in Japan and the 37,000 in South Korea have a stabilizing effect and are appropriate "now and in the indefinite future."
Japan in particular would be faced with a need to build up its forces in the event of a U.S. pullout. The government of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, like its predecessors, has supported a continued U.S. military presence and has taken steps to ensure that the Americans can stay on Okinawa despite strong local opposition.
The confrontation between the two Koreas continues to be a matter of concern, but the secretary said the U.S. military might have to stay on in the region even if Korea was reunited. The main reason was unstated but clear: China.
Cohen maintained that the American military contingents in East Asia are not directed against China, but that is more a matter of diplomatic correctness than reality. In fact, China's military buildup is worrying its neighbors and the Pentagon. The dispatch of two aircraft carrier groups to Taiwan last year when China was firing missiles near the island was a better indication of U.S. policy than verbal acrobatics.
This policy of continued engagement in East Asia has obvious implications for Hawaii. As long as the policy is maintained, Hawaii will retain its importance as the mid-Pacific support base for military operations in Asia.
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John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
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A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor