VOA慢速英语: 日本首相开始其访美之旅

Japanese Prime Minister Begins US Visit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in the UnitedStates. He plans to visit four U.S. cities and meet withPresident Barack Obama at the White House. OnWednesday, he will speak to a joint meeting of theSenate and House of Representatives.

Mr. Abe’s visit comes as the security and economicrelationship between the two countries is changing. U.S. and Japanese officials recently amended defenseguidelines to give Japan more responsibility for its owndefense. This is the first time those rules have beenchanged since 1997.

Evan Madeiros is Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council. He says the newdefense guidelines will expand Japan’s position in thealliance. He says they also will create a way for Japanto provide additional support to the U.S. armed forces.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center right, and his wife Akie, second from right, join aides in placing a wreath at the site of one of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings Monday, April 27, 2015, in Boston. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

Kenichiro Sasae is the Japanese ambassador to the United States. He spokerecently at the Centers for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He said the new guidelines will be followed by security legislation. Last year,Mr. Abe and his cabinet changed the official interpretation, or understanding, of Japan’s constitution. The Cabinet agreed that Japan can defend itselfmilitarily.

“For Japan, this change in our thinking on collective defense is a sea-change. It is coming after 70 years of trust, and the legislation will establish aframework for Japan to further collaborate with the United States.”

Jeffrey Kingston is a professor of Asian studies at Temple University. Heworks at the university’s campus in Tokyo. He says the changes in Japan’ssecurity policy are a result of China’s growing military strength.

“Back in 1997, China’s defense budget was $10 billion. Last year, it was $144billion and there’s been a lot of saber-rattling over disputed territoriesbetween the two countries. So, the rising China narrative and concerns aboutits hegemonic ambitions in Asia are pushing the United States and Japancloser. And Abe is keen to secure a U.S. commitment to back it in the eventof some contingency over the disputed islands in the East China Sea.”

Professor Kingston says few Japanese agree with thedecision to change Japan’s security policy. He saysonly 23 percent of the public supports a change, while68 percent oppose it.

Protests by Korean-Americans are expected during Mr.Abe’s visit to the United States. They are angry thatJapanese troops forced Korean women to becomesexual slaves during World War II.

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

Victor Beattie reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruisewrote it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

sea change – n. a big and sudden change

framework – n. the basic structure of something

collaborate – v. to work with another person or group in order to achieve ordo something

saber-rattling – n. actions and statements that are meant to frighten orthreaten an enemy by suggesting the possible use of force

hegemonic – adj. ruling or dominant in a political or social context

keen – adj. feeling a strong and impatient desire to do something

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