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China Shouldn’t be Surprised More Countries in Asia Are Turning to the U.S., Says Envoy to Japan

by Cobus van Staden
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emmanuel. Image via CNN.

Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, blamed China for increasing tensions in East Asia. Speaking with CNN, he framed regional military buildups and the strengthening of U.S.-centric blocs like the Quad (a defense-focused alliance between the U.S., Australia, Japan and India) as responses to Chinese aggression. Beijing tends to frame these as attempts at containment.

Emanuel praised Japan for doubling its defense budget and said that countries respond to the U.S. because China doesn’t understand “the gravitational pull of freedom:”

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