One is the beginning of the end of the nearly decade-long struggle in Afghanistan – the longest war in United States history – with President Barack Obama announcing the withdrawal of 30,000 US troops from the country by next summer. The other is the 40th anniversary of Henry Kissinger’s secret mission to Beijing, a turning point in the Cold War and the first step on China’s road to modernization – but at the time a huge shock to Asia, particularly Japan.
发自东京——美国与亚洲之间偶尔纠结的关系将在今年7月迎来两个里程碑。首先，随着奥巴马总统宣布3万名驻阿富汗美军将在明年夏天以前陆续撤出，持续近十年之久的阿富汗战争——也是美国历史上历时最长的一场战争——终于迎来了落幕的时刻。其次，亨利·基辛格秘密访华40周年纪念也即将到来，当年基辛格的访问成为了冷战的一个转折点，也是中国迈向现代化的第一步——同时也让整个亚洲，尤其是是日本，大为震惊。