In the present Capitol Hill make up, Japanese American Congressman Mike Honda has repeatedly lashed out at Tokyo's erroneous dictions on comfort women issues. Honda has even pointed out on multiple occasions that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China. Honda has said Japan must assume responsibility for its World War II history and apologize to China.

The 2014 budget bills recently passed by the House formally called on Secretary of State John Kerry to encourage "the government of Japan to address the issues raised" in a 2007 resolution, that called on Japan to "formally acknowledge, apologize and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner" for the forced enlistment of more than 200 thousand young women into military sex slavery during their colonial rule of Asia.

The United States has been carrying out its "Asia-Pacific rebalance" over the past few years, trying to balance the emerging economies' influence on the present international order, ultimately in a bid to ensure its own dominance in the region.

What Washington failed to anticipate is that Japan regarded the U.S. shift in strategy as its chance to shake off the postwar peaceful constitution. Japan regained non-binding military liberty in the name of collective self defense. Japan's blatant military expansion inevitably triggered the alert from other countries in the region and beyond.

Judging the recent political development in Japan, Washington is bound to understand that the Japanese government has abused its "rebalancing" strategy, which has reduced Japan to a negative asset for the United States in its global strategy.

The United States must rectify Japan's wrongdoings, both for Washington's own geopolitical interest and to preserve the postwar international order, since a more reasonable Japan is also in the U.S. interest.

It is fair to say that the United States still has time to drag Japan back on track. If the United States still wishes to call itself a responsible superpower, it must seriously restrain Japan, especially in opposing Japan's historical revisionist acts.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.h5a3.com/opinion/shendingli.htm

The article was originally published in Chinese and translated by Chen boyuan.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.