Opinion: Lessons in alignment? NATO envoys head to Japan

Xinhua
12 Apr 2026, 14:45 GMT+10

As some 30 NATO ambassadors prepare to visit Japan to study the art of keeping Washington at ease, the trip itself betrays a deeper unease within the alliance.

Japan's years of kneeling for American approval differs from Europe's bid to stand on its own. Such a posture, trading dignity and national interest for the shelter of patronage, is a lesson in self-abasement, not a model to emulate.

When diplomacy is reduced to something to be "learned" in a classroom, uncomfortable questions inevitably follow. Can the NATO alignment ever be truly equal? And how long can strategic autonomy be deferred before it ceases to be a choice at all?

Produced by Xinhua Global Service

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