Latest news with #RichardArmitage
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Armitage Strengthened Japan-U.S. Alliance; Late Statesman Saw Great Potential of Bilateral Ties
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo In 2018, Armitage attended the Yomiuri International Economic Society (YIES) hosted by the Yomiuri Shimbun in Tokyo. Armitage had been a contributor to The Yomiuri Shimbun's 'Insights into the World' column since 2005. This spring, Japan and the Japan-U.S. alliance lost a pillar of support when former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage passed away on April 13 at age 79. He was literally and figuratively a man of great stature, whose distinctive voice and warm but blunt speech were not only known and respected by Japanese politicians and diplomats, but also widely recognized by the Japanese public. How did Armitage become so well-known in Japan? The story is closely intertwined with the history of Japan's postwar security transition, which began in earnest in the early 1990s. During the 1991 Gulf War, the United States formed a multinational force to contain Iraq after it invaded Kuwait. Then U.S. President George H.W. Bush asked U.S. allies, including Japan, to contribute militarily to the war. However, Japan turned down Washington's request, due to the restrictions in Article 9 of its Constitution. Japan had never dispatched Self-Defense Forces troops overseas up to that point. Instead of sending troops, Japan spent $13 billion to assist the United States, but the decision was criticized by the U.S. Congress and public as 'too little, too late.' In Japan, this traumatic episode is still widely remembered. What exactly is Article 9, and how did it become a hindrance to the Japan-U.S. alliance? Article 9 codifies the pacifism proclaimed in Japan's Constitution. The article renounces the threat of force, the use of force and 'war as a sovereign right of the nation.' It also rules out recognizing the 'right of belligerency of the state.' This unique Constitution, which states that 'land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained,' reflects the history of World War II. Japan and the United States were once enemies fighting across the Pacific Ocean, beginning with Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. After its defeat, Japan accepted the current Constitution, formulated under the leadership of GHQ led by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The reason why the Constitution restricts the use of force and does not permit the possession of armed forces is that it was intended to dismantle Japan's Imperial military, which had attacked the United States and invaded other countries during World War II, and to prevent future military re-expansion by Japan. In 1990, before the Gulf War, Maj. Gen. Henry Stackpole III, then commander of U.S. Marine Corps bases in Japan, told the U.S. media, 'No one wants a rearmed, resurgent Japan,' and referred to the U.S. military presence in Japan as 'a cap in the bottle.' Although this was Stackpole's personal view, there was a sense of caution toward Japan's military rise. Japan's Self-Defense Forces are considered a military force under international law, even though the Constitution does not mention the existence of the Self-Defense Forces. Strong criticism from the United States opened Japan's eyes. In 1992, Japan passed the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Cooperation Law to provide the legal basis for the deployment of the Self-Defense Forces overseas. Akihisa Nagashima knew Armitage for three decades. Nagashima, a House of Representatives member currently serving as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, said Armitage's most important achievement 'is that he has clearly laid out and frankly told Japan what Japan's security role should be, based on his trust in Japan.' Nagashima emphasized, 'Mr. Armitage has put an end to the 'bottle cap theory' that was based on distrust toward Japan.' How did Armitage do it? The most well-known episode occurred after the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. At the time, Armitage was a deputy secretary of state. Prior to the U.S. retaliatory attack on Afghanistan, Armitage met then Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shunji Yanai. According to a report in The Yomiuri Shimbun at the time, Armitage told Yanai that the American people were watching closely to see how their ally would cooperate with them. As a friend of Japan, he said, he felt it needed to avoid making an issue over its cooperation with the United States as it did during the Gulf War. Armitage understood that Japan's direct contribution would be limited due to the Constitution, but he emphasized that logistical support was possible. He encouraged Japan to show willingness and make the decision voluntarily. Precisely as Nagashima pointed out, Armitage offered clear and straightforward advice to Japan as a friend. Sept. 11 was the first direct attack on the U.S. homeland since World War II, and the tragic event reminded Americans of 1941. Armitage probably knew at the time that Japan's decision would affect the Japan-U.S. relationship. Then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi acted quickly on Armitage's advice. The prime minister immediately flew to Washington and met with then U.S. President George W. Bush and informed him that the Self-Defense Forces would provide logistical support for U.S. military operations. Yanai later recalled that at the beginning of the summit, Koizumi showed solidarity by telling Bush, 'We stand by you.' Koizumi and Bush established a close relationship, and the Japan-U.S. alliance deepened in their era. Armitage also encouraged Japan to think and act independently. In 2003, the United States decided to attack Iraq. Seiji Maehara, who later served as foreign minister in a Democratic Party of Japan administration, met then Deputy Secretary of State Armitage in Washington right before the attack on Iraq. Maehara, a pragmatic politician who had a good understanding of foreign policy, expressed his opposition to the attack. According to Maehara, Armitage came close to him and said: 'Mr. Maehara. If North Korea launches missiles at Japan while you are defense minister, how would you respond?' Japan could not counterattack due to constitutional restrictions at that time. Maehara was aware of the constraints of the Constitution and got frustrated. He replied, 'We will do what we can do, and we will ask the U.S. for assistance based on the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.' Armitage nodded and said: 'That's right. Don't worry. We will treat any attack on Japan as an attack on us and respond.' Recalling the encounter years later, Maehara stated, 'Unfortunately, I had to accept what he implied.' Armitage did not say much, but he made us understand what allies were supposed to do for each other. Maehara has declared, 'That is why I am striving to 'protect my country' by myself.' 'Show the flag.' 'Boots on the ground.' These are the words that Armitage was reported to have said to the Japanese side during these crises. Although these are now not believed to be his exact words, these phrases served as a wakeup call for the Japanese people to think about the future of their country. While Armitage made many contributions to the Japan-U.S. alliance during his decades of service in the U.S. government, his most significant accomplishments may be from his time outside of government. Particularly notable was a series of six reports on strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance that he published with Harvard University Prof. Joseph Nye from 2000 to 2024. The first report was prescient. The two giants of the Japan-U.S. alliance wrote that Japan-U.S. security cooperation would be 'closer and more efficient' if the ban on Japan's exercise of its right to collective self-defense were lifted. The 2006 report called for a change in the interpretation of collective self-defense under the Japanese Constitution. After Shinzo Abe returned to power as prime minister in 2012, he pushed through a change in the interpretation of the Constitution regarding collective self-defense, expanding the scope of activities that Japan's Self-Defense Forces can carry out as an ally of the United States. In doing so, Abe responded to a question Armitage had provocatively raised in one of the reports, asking whether Japan would become a tier-two nation. An expert on U.S. strategy in Asia, Zach Cooper, who worked closely with Armitage, said: 'Ambassador Armitage believed deeply that the United States should be a force for good in the world, and that we could have the most impact by working closely with key allies and partners. He approached almost every issue through the lens of honesty and directness with both friends and adversaries. He was also a legendary hero of the Vietnam War. Armitage saved the lives of many Vietnamese refugees and adopted Vietnamese orphans as foster children. Cooper emphasized: 'My strongest impressions [of him] were his deep commitment to family and his willingness to say and do things that were unpopular because they were right. I think that it's best exemplified by his actions in the last days of the Vietnam War, in which he played a major role in saving 30,000 South Vietnamese despite not having instructions or authority to do so. It was just the right thing to do, so he did it.' A celebration of Armitage's life was held at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on May 29. Former Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato described Armitage as 'the greatest and most skilled craftsman in the history of the U.S.-Japan alliance,' while Captain Kiem Do, a former officer in the South Vietnamese Navy who worked with Armitage to save Vietnamese lives, reflected, 'He did save us.' Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Shriver, who was a close partner of Armitage, has also spoken about him. Shriver stresses, 'He believed Japan was already our most important ally, and yet he saw even more potential as the alliance modernized and benefited from greater investment in both sides.' In the current time of turmoil caused by the America First policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, the United States may appear to some to be moving away from being the force for good in the way that Armitage believed it ought to be. Armitage believed in the power of alliances and publicly opposed Donald Trump becoming a president. It was amid the latest uncertainty created by Trump 2.0 that Armitage passed away, with Nye following in May. Alliance advocates are currently quiet in Washington. Japan and other U.S. allies have lost a major supporter. But let's not forget that Armitage wanted us to think and act on our own, as he himself did when he launched an operation that saved many civilian lives in Vietnam. Following Armitage's passing, Japan must set its own course and navigate its own ship in this turbulent era. Political Pulse appears every Saturday. Yuko Mukai Yuko Mukai is a Washington correspondent of The Yomiuri Shimbun.
NHK
3 days ago
- Business
- NHK
Richard Armitage memorial praises diplomat's contribution to Japan-US alliance
About 400 people have gathered to remember former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who played a key role in US-Japan relations. The high-ranking diplomat died in April at the age of 79. The memorial ceremony was held on Thursday at the US Naval Academy in the state of Maryland. The participants included former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and diplomats from Japan and other countries. In a speech, former CIA Director William Burns praised Armitage's achievements and character. He said Armitage knew that "diplomacy was not an abstraction but a very human business of building trust with allies and partners." Former Japanese Ambassador to the US Kato Ryozo said, "The passing of Richard Armitage, the greatest and most skilled craftsman in the history of the US-Japan alliance," was a "profound loss" to both countries. Kato added, "The friendship, trust, the many gifts he gave us are living still through us." Armitage worked under President George W. Bush. He was a top expert on Asian and Japanese affairs, and called for strengthening the US-Japan alliance.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Line of Duty's Martin Compston joins ITV's most unmissable tense 2024 drama, see first look of new season
Last year, Red Eye was hands down one of our favourite shows and now it's just been confirmed Line of Duty's Martin Compston will be heading up the cast for season two. Released in April 2024, the dramatic ITV thriller saw Richard Armitage star as Dr Matthew Nolan, a British expat who is extradited back to China on murder charges. The majority of the series takes place on a plane, with Detective Hana Li (Jing Lusi) brought onto the plane to oversee Nolan's transfer. Despite a somewhat happy ending, Richard Armitage won't be back for another season, instead we'll see Compston working alongside Detective Li in a yet undisclosed role. While we don't know too much about his character yet, we have had a first look image released. In the image Compston stands side by side with Lusi, and he's wearing a black coat over grey trousers and a white shirt. The image was shared on ITV's Instagram and is captioned: "Sneak peek of Red Eye series 2 🎬. Jing Lusi is back, joined by Martin Compston to solve a new high-stakes conspiracy ✈️." See the image here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by ITV (@itv) While the photo doesn't give much away about his role it does appear he'll be working alongside Detective Li to solve the new conspiracy. And it's safe to say fans are very happy to see Martin be involved in the second season, with one Instagram commenter writing: "Yay, loved the first series. Even better Martin's in the next one!" While another said: "Oh interesting 🤔 looking forward to seeing 👀 Red 👁." And another added: "The first series was great can't wait for the next series specially with Martin Compston 🔥." Though Richard Armitage isn't set to return, the rest of the main cast including Lesley Sharp as Madeline Delaney and Jemma Moore as Jess Li, Hana's sister and a journalist are making a comeback. As for the release date, the series is currently in production so we'll be waiting a while to see it on our screens. Red Eye is available for catchup on ITVXYou Might Also Like A ranking of the very best hair straighteners - according to our Beauty Editors Best party dresses to shop in the UK right now 11 products you'd be mad to miss from the Net A Porter beauty sale
Japan Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Remembering two titans in Japan-U.S. relations
If the Japan-U.S. relationship has felt a little unstable in recent weeks, that's understandable. Two of its pillars, Richard Armitage and Joseph S. Nye Jr., have died. Those two men labored for decades to advance that partnership, working in academia, business and the policy-making worlds to protect and promote our two nations' interests. Perhaps as no two other individuals have done, Nye and Armitage guided a bilateral relationship, creating a vision, using their knowledge, expertise and connections to bring it to life and then nurtured a generation of scholars, experts and officials who would give it substance and durability. Joe Nye will probably be most remembered for conceptualizing the notion of 'soft power,' the ability of a country to win the hearts and minds of others through its culture and values rather than coercion, but he worked and wrote on a variety of issues and topics. He and political scientist Robert Keohane are credited with founding the international relations theory of liberal institutionalism, which argues that cooperation between states is feasible and can reduce competition and is one of the two leading fields in that discipline. While Nye was invariably introduced as 'Harvard professor,' he served several times in government, in the Departments of Defense and State and as chairman of the National Intelligence Council. Intimate knowledge of how power actually flowed through those buildings informed his work and his thinking. It also explained why he was recognized as one of the most influential international relations scholars of his time and one of the most influential scholars in American foreign policy. Armitage had an equally distinguished record of government service, serving too in the State Department, Pentagon and as special envoy to Jordan and Central European states in the aftermath of the breakup of the Soviet Union. Armitage Associates, his consulting firm, helped governments in those regions build military capacity to address changing security realities. Joseph S. Nye Jr. meets with then-Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in Munich, Germany, in February 2009. | JIJI Nye authored the Nye Report, a 1995 initiative launched during his tenure as assistant secretary of defense for international affairs in the Clinton administration. It famously warned that 'security is like oxygen: You do not tend to notice it until you begin to lose it.' It provided an anchor for the U.S. military presence in Asia at a time of geopolitical churn. Concern that its message of partnership with Tokyo was being abandoned amid Japan's economic woes — the country was halfway through its first 'lost decade' — and the rise of China — then U.S. President Bill Clinton famously visited China for 10 days in 1998 and returned home without visiting Japan, prompting the notion of 'Japan passing' — Nye teamed up with Armitage to head a group of experts who pleaded for bipartisan support for the Japan-U.S. alliance before the 2000 presidential election. The tone of the message shifted over the six Armitage-Nye reports issued between 2000 and 2024. The first were akin to wish lists for Japan, urging Tokyo to break out of its self-imposed reticence and assume a more prominent security role in the region, both on its own and in partnership with the United States. When several of its members joined the George W. Bush administration, Armitage among them (he served as deputy secretary of state) they were well placed to push that agenda. By the time the last report was issued, the emphasis had shifted. The authors applauded Japan's resurgence and commitment to protecting the regional order and their concern then focused on a seeming readiness of the U.S. to abandon the principles and policies that had secured regional peace, prosperity and stability. Less visible, but no less important, was participation by Nye and Armitage (after his last job in government) in the track 1.5 Japan-U.S. security seminar that Pacific Forum co-hosted with the Japan Institute for International Affairs, a project that I ran for over a decade and, in retrospect, laid out a blueprint for the alliance that was eventually adopted. At those meetings, I observed firsthand their commitment to the alliance, their work to promote the partnership and the incredible regard that participants from both countries had for them. My former boss, Ralph Cossa, likes to tell how, when he pressed a senior Japanese official to reconcile the man's call for Armitage to speak out on a particular issue with Tokyo's disdain for gaiatsu (foreign pressure), the official replied, 'when other Americans say things it's gaiatsu, but when Armitage says it, it's gospel.' (For the record, Armitage and Nye were the honorary co-chairmen of the Pacific Forum's International Advisory Board, where Cossa was president and I was executive director.) At those meetings, I also saw their readiness to build an enduring partnership across generations. While the conferences included the major figures in both countries who worked on the alliance — both scholars and officials — Nye and Armitage invariably made time for our young fellows, setting aside meetings just for them to field questions and share perspectives. Those insights transcended the dry offerings typical of such conversations and instead drew on personal experiences that offered understanding of how such relationships really work. Their good humor, unflagging optimism and commitment to building a stronger Japan-U.S. alliance continues to shape that partnership. It's evident not only in the documents that bear their names, but in the inspiration they provided to a generation of scholars and experts who have assumed positions of influence in this vital partnership. Brad Glosserman is deputy director of and visiting professor at the Center for Rule-Making Strategies at Tama University as well as senior adviser (nonresident) at Pacific Forum. His new book on the geopolitics of high tech is expected to come out from Hurst Publishers this fall.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Actor Richard Armitage ‘choked up' over VE Day concert reading
Actor Richard Armitage has described choking up over the testimony of a man orphaned during the Birmingham Blitz ahead of delivering a reading at the VE Day concert, with other famous faces also telling of the emotional atmosphere. The VE Day party at a specially built arena in Horse Guards Parade will feature a programme of dance, orchestra and comedy sketches to an audience of more than 12,000 people – including members of the royal family, the Prime Minister and veterans – as well as many others over a live broadcast. A host of celebrities have begun taking to the stage, with radio DJ Zoe Ball acting as presenter for the evening. Armitage will deliver the testimony of 89-year-old Jeff Borsack on Thursday evening, with Mr Borsack also set to address the audience. The Hobbit film series star told the PA news agency ahead of the performance: 'I practised it a few times and it does choke me up a little bit. 'I think because I'm from the Midlands there's just something about that connection to Birmingham and his words are so vivid. 'It's a pretty special thing to do, and I don't think there's going to be many of these people left on the next big occasion so it's so important to carry his story.' He called Mr Borsack 'amazing' and 'a complete archive of anecdotes'. On performing in front of the royals, the Fool Me Once star said: 'It's that kind of honour that you don't get asked to be part of very often but… it's one of those rare occasions, big patriotic ceremony, which actually isn't about the royal family – they're also paying respect which I think is amazing because many of them served also, so it's quite a levelling experience I think.' The King and Queen were sat in the royal box for the concert with the Prince and Princess of Wales. Actor David Bradley said all will be well as long as he does not catch Charles and Camilla yawning during his performance. Bradley, who played Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films, will take to the stage with other British actors to perform a sketch from British comedy Dad's Army. On the King and Queen watching them, Bradley, who will play Private Godfrey, told PA: 'As long as I don't catch them yawning it will be alright.' Hot Fuzz actor Kevin Eldon, playing Lance Corporal Jones, joked: 'Or leaving.' Eldon added: 'I'm nervous to the point that if it doesn't go well it's not far from the Tower. We can see the thumbs from here – up or down.' 'Seize them,' Derry Girls star Dylan Llewellyn, playing Private Pike, quipped. The Thick Of It actor Alex Macqueen, who will be voicing a BBC producer for the sketch, joked: 'We're like medieval court jesters from that era.' They will be performing alongside Chariots Of Fire star Nigel Havers, as Sergeant Wilson, Game Of Thrones actor Iain Glen, who will play Private Frazer, and Paterson Joseph, from Peep Show, playing a BBC engineer. Havers, whose 97-year-old mother remembers VE Day 'really well' and who 'can't believe' he is performing at the concert, said: 'I'm just looking forward to messing it up really.' Joseph joked that he has yet to say the words in the right order, while Glen said the 'pleasure' of doing a Dad's Army sketch 'is it is supposed to be slightly chaotic'. Glen hailed the importance of remembering VE Day, a time of 'the most extraordinary feeling of liberation', and told PA: 'I know it's easier said than done but we're trying to do a little bit of that.' Soap opera stars Emma Barton, Michelle Hardwick and Claire Sweeney performed an Andrews Sisters medley at the concert. Sweeney, from Coronation Street, said she was on stage at Horse Guards Parade for the 60th anniversary of VE Day. 'I had my dad in the audience with his medals on and my brother,' she said. 'Unfortunately my dad's not here now but… we don't know in another 10 years how many veterans will still be with us, so it's a really, really special one. My 11-year-old son (is) here as well.' Emmerdale star Hardwick had her sister-in-law and 16-year-old niece in the audience to support her, with her wife and children at home watching on the TV with flags. 'Watching it all this morning and listening to the stories from the veterans,' she said. 'I think I cried at least three times this morning in the hotel room. It's really special.' Ball promised it would be an emotional evening. 'Quite a few of us had tears in our eyes yesterday listening to some of the music because it was so poignant,' she told PA. 'These are songs that meant so much to this generation, hearing the stories, the memories, just thinking of the children who were evacuated, the idea of me sending my kids off – it's quite something. 'And then you think of your grandparents and the generation many of whom aren't with us anymore and you really do hold them in your heart on days like this. 'We must continue to remember them and remember why they went through and what they went through for us all and how we're very blessed and lucky, really, especially at the moment when you look at what's going on around the world for many other people, we are very lucky to live in peace.' Her father, former Play School presenter Johnny Ball, made her nervous by telling her where he was going to be sat for the concert but she said she was 'really glad' for his presence in the audience. She spoke about his memories of VE Day 1945 when he was a child, saying: 'He tells great stories about my grandmother taking him into the Anderson shelter and them all singing songs. 'And he remembers those memories so they're quite, quite something.'
