Dear Richard,

Expanding on what Mr. Cucek said, I would add that a good case can be made Japanese should examine such options. Japan has to demonstrate to China, to the United States and even to itself, that it has options beyond just waiting to see what China does next. I think that it would be foolish for Japan to exercise that option - not only would it provoke the Chinese, but it would alarm the United States, which has become quite worried about Japanese nationalism, cf. Joe Nye's recent piece in the Financial Times. But by underlining that it has options it can put pressure on China, and by demonstrating restraint it can reassure the United States and encourage the US to continue to reassure Japan.

Thomas Berger
Boston University
Visiting Professor, Keio University