This article from Gideon Rachman in the FT is AN EXCELLENT READ. Check it out!
I have been tracking the news on Japan from the perspective of the Chinese media published in English and must admit that Gideon Rachman has a point.
When I was in China last October, I picked up that the previously very high levels of Chinese tourists has plummeted as a result of the national spats. Also Japanese business interests in China must be anxious.
Personally, I think that the US granting Japan greater military freedom could very easily be misunderstood and lead to greater regional tensions; of course, slower growth rates in Asia are not helping Asian relations.
Any thoughts?