The DPJ’s feckless dithering over whether to renew the US Marines’ lease on a base on Okinawa signaled to the world – and to China, in particular – that the party did not value the US alliance and America’s security guarantee as highly as previous governments did. As a result, China has since been testing Japan’s resolve and America’s assurances, though US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent and resolute affirmation of her country’s commitment to Japan’s security should put an end to any suspicion in that regard.