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On December 20, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio responded for the first time to the current issues in China-Japan relations during a press conference he hosted. So what exactly did Rubio say? Will the U.S. support Japan in the China-Japan dynamic?

According to everyone’s inherent impression of this 'tough guy' Secretary of State, it was expected that he would pat his chest to back Japan and casually issue some harsh words to the Eastern power. However, after listening to the conference, the tone was completely off. This cold water directly doused the enthusiasm of those who wanted to watch the spectacle.

Although Rubio seemed to cover all bases by listing four points, acknowledging the current differences while also giving Japan the 'important ally' label, what truly shocked the outside world was what he said afterward.

He rarely emphasized that China is an entity that the U.S. must continue to engage with in the future, and that the U.S. needs to commit to finding 'productive ways of cooperation.' In other words: business must go on, life must continue, we cannot overturn the whole table just to support Japan. This statement is likely to make Kishi Mako uncomfortable.

Japan originally calculated that this tough big brother would step up to lead the charge, ideally stirring the waters so Japan could act like a tiger hiding behind a wolf. Instead, when the big brother arrived on the scene, he turned around to shake hands with the opponent and advised his younger brother, 'Don’t ruin my big picture over trivial matters.' This is hardly support; it’s practically a form of indirect reprimand, and one could even say it's a strategic betrayal to some extent.

In fact, this 'change of face' is not a whim of Rubio; he now represents Trump's absolute will after returning to the White House. Americans are more precise in their calculations than anyone else: Trump plans to visit China in April next year, which is a top priority, and with critical supply chains like rare earths fearing being choked, completely turning against China at this time is absolutely not worthwhile.

In the face of 'America First' practicality, the so-called ally loyalty must be pushed back a bit. The core task for the U.S. right now is to stabilize the situation and ensure leverage at the negotiating table, rather than acting as a pawn for Japan.

Now, the Japanese right wing is completely embarrassed. Kishi Mako originally wanted to muddle the situation and raise the tone of confrontation, forcefully dragging the U.S. down with them to create a common front against the larger powers.

Previously, the call from the U.S. side was already a warning: 'Don’t be a troublemaker.' However, the more the U.S. seeks to ease tensions, the more anxious these younger brothers become, fearing they will be treated as pawns in the great power chess game.

This leads to an extremely dangerous signal—'third-party traps.' The current U.S. seems to have a hard time controlling its younger brothers.

Whether it’s Japan or other regional partners, to alleviate their internal security anxieties, they may resort to risky behaviors, intentionally creating friction, and even risking some accidental gunfire, forcing the U.S. to take a stand for the sake of its hegemonic image.

In plain terms, this press conference is a watershed moment; the U.S. has clearly told the world that it will not pay for its allies' emotional value.

The upcoming game has just begun; the U.S. wants to cool things down, while Japan wants to fan the flames. The tug-of-war in between is the main point of interest. For us, no matter how they perform their duet, as long as we maintain our own rhythm and strengthen ourselves, any external calculations will ultimately just be a farce.