Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba offered a sacrificial offering known as "Masakaki" to the Yasukuni Shrine, which is holding its autumn regular festival, under the name "Prime Minister of the Cabinet Shigeru Ishiba." The Yasukuni Shrine enshrines Class A war criminals who bear grave responsibility for the侵略战争, and has long been regarded as a spiritual tool and symbol of Japan's militarism in its external aggression. Although Ishiba has decided not to visit the shrine during the festival, this act clearly touches on the red line of Sino-Japanese relations.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the House of Representatives on a certain date. The lawmakers applauded after the bill to dissolve the House of Representatives was passed. During the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, Ishiba had loudly promoted the idea of an "Asian NATO." After being elected, he also published a signed article titled "Japan's New Security Era: The Future of Japan's Foreign Policy" at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., where he elaborated on his proposal to establish an "Asian NATO," causing an uproar in international public opinion.

Today, we will discuss the "Asian NATO" that Shigeru Ishiba is promoting. What is the intention behind the "Asian NATO"? NATO is the abbreviation for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance established by European and North American countries based on the North Atlantic. In recent years, under the impetus of the United States, there have been signs that NATO is breaking through the Atlantic and advancing into the Asia-Pacific region. As an ally of the United States, Japan has participated in NATO summits for three consecutive years, becoming an annual "fixed program." The newly elected Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, is not content with merely being a guide for "NATO's entry into Asia" and even intends to lead the creation of an "Asian NATO."

Uniting Allies, Building a New Defense System. Shigeru Ishiba claims that Japan and the United States are deepening security cooperation and developing strategic partnerships horizontally through the "2+2 talks" between foreign and defense ministers, but Japan's ambitions go far beyond this. On a certain date, the U.S.-Japan "2+2 Security Dialogue" was held in Tokyo, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and then Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara in attendance. In addition to strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance, Ishiba also plans to establish "quasi-alliance relationships" with Canada, Australia, the Philippines, India, France, the United Kingdom, and deepen security cooperation with South Korea. Ishiba believes that relying on these alliance relationships, Japan can build a "hub-and-spoke" system with the Japan-U.S. alliance at its core, forming an "Asian NATO."

Contain China, enhance regional deterrence. To realize his vision, Shibata Shigeru slanders China as a "destabilizing factor in the region," claiming that China, Russia, and North Korea are increasing their nuclear capabilities, rendering the United States' "extended deterrence" in the region ineffective. Therefore, he advocates for the establishment of an "Asian NATO" to jointly contain China with Western allies, and also believes that the "Asian NATO" should deploy U.S. nuclear weapons in countries like Japan. Shibata even compares Asia to Ukraine, stating that in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, since Ukraine is not a NATO member, the United States has no obligation to defend it. He alarmingly claims that due to the absence of a collective defense system like NATO in Asia, there is no mutual defense obligation, making war more likely, and "today's Ukraine is tomorrow's Asia."

Can NATO be transplanted to the Asia-Pacific? In fact, Asia consists of numerous countries, each with its own unique characteristics in political systems, economic development, and cultural heritage. The complex historical background and diverse geographical environment result in different conflicts and challenges faced by each country. Under such circumstances, establishing a multilateral military alliance may not bring substantial benefits; instead, it could embroil member countries in unnecessary disputes, thereby introducing uncertainty to regional stability. During the Cold War, the United States attempted to promote the establishment of multilateral security frameworks in Asia, such as the Baghdad Pact Organization and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, but these efforts ultimately failed to achieve their intended goals. Judging from the current reactions, the idea of an "Asian NATO" proposed by Ishiba Shigeru is likely to meet a similar fate.

Domestic Japanese disapproval. Since Shigeru Ishiba took office, his administration has faced multiple challenges, being reported twice for political funding issues, with the cabinet's approval rating at only %, the lowest among all cabinets since . The Liberal Democratic Party internally lacks consensus on some of his proposals, such as the "Asian NATO." Japan's new Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani both stated that there is no ongoing work on the proposal to establish an "Asian NATO." Ishiba himself seems to have realized the unfavorable situation, as he did not mention the "Asian NATO" in his inaugural speech on the day of his inauguration. On the day of his election as Prime Minister of Japan, Ishiba announced the dissolution of the Diet just eight days after taking office.

Allies and partners "pour cold water." Among allies and partners, Shigeru Ishiba's idea of an "Asian NATO" did not gain support and was explicitly opposed by the other three countries in the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia "Quad" mechanism, which is rare. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan both expressed that Ishiba's proposal for an "Asian NATO" was "somewhat hasty" and "premature," and the U.S. does not intend to establish a NATO in the Indo-Pacific region. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently also stated that India does not agree with Ishiba's vision, "We are not considering such a strategic framework." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also "poured cold water" on Ishiba, believing that similar "security agreements" already exist in the region, such as the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia "Quad" mechanism.

Regional countries remain vigilant. After realizing that no one supported his "small calculations," Shigeru Ishiba refrained from mentioning the "Asian NATO" during his participation in the ASEAN Summit held from the 1st to the 2nd. In fact, ASEAN countries also heightened their vigilance regarding his visit. The Jakarta Post, Indonesia's largest English-language newspaper, published an editorial warning Ishiba that such a military alliance would only exacerbate regional tensions, advising him to restrain himself and not promote the idea of an "Asian NATO" during the summit to avoid embarrassment. Malaysia's Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein bluntly stated, "We don't need a NATO for ASEAN." Even in the Philippines, the idea of an "Asian NATO" was considered unrealistic.

Where is the path to peace and security in the Asia-Pacific? Looking at the present, the Asia-Pacific is the most dynamic region in the global economy, with countries in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and other areas maintaining close political and economic ties with China. The prevailing sentiment among Asian nations is a reluctance to engage in bloc confrontation. The recently concluded ASEAN Summit had the theme "ASEAN: Strengthening Connectivity and Resilience," reflecting ASEAN's long-term commitment to regional cooperation and focus on economic development. It also represents the view of the majority of Asian countries not to take sides in great power competition but to strengthen economic and trade cooperation. Thai Prime Minister Phetthongtam expressed during the summit that external forces are increasingly influencing ASEAN's regional security. Ishiba Shigeru likely recognized this as well, stating during his participation in the ASEAN Summit that "the relationship between Japan and China is not entirely smooth sailing, but clues to solving problems have been found," hoping that through the efforts of both governments, the peoples of both countries can share the benefits of the development of Japan-China relations. On a certain date, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang met with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru in Vientiane during the series of meetings of East Asian leaders on cooperation.

In summary, the "Asian NATO" is completely contrary to the aspirations of the vast majority of Asian countries and has absolutely no chance of gaining a foothold. If anyone insists on pushing forward with the so-called "Asian NATO," they will only bring shame upon themselves!