Japan is right to be concerned about China’s new regional assertiveness, and Abe’s recent diplomatic push to strengthen Japan’s relations in Southeast Asia, and with Australia and India, is understandable in that context. Nor is it inherently unreasonable – despite opposition at home and abroad – for his government to seek to reinterpret Article 9 of Japan’s “peace constitution” to permit wider engagement in collective self-defense operations and military cooperation with allies and partners.
日本对中国新出现的地区强势表示担忧是正确的，而安倍最近的外交举动——强化日本与东南亚、澳大利亚和印度的关系——也不难理解。也不能说安倍政府重新解释日本“和平宪法”第九条、允许日本参与集体自卫行动并与盟友和伙伴开战军事合作的举动是毫无道理的——尽管国内外反对声音很大。