Wrapping up his four-day visit to Asia in Tokyo on Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry reassured the United States' allies in the region that it will continue to build on its active and enduring presence in the region. But despite the rhetoric, which was intended to brush aside skepticism about the US' motives for rebalancing its national security focus toward Asia and away from the Middle East, there remain doubts about whether the US will play a constructive role in the region.

In a policy speech on the Asia-Pacific delivered at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kerry lauded US President Barack Obama's strategic rebalancing as "a smart and strategic commitment". He also urged countries in the region to join hands together and make progress in coping with regional challenges under the principles of strong growth, fair growth, smart growth and just growth.

Washington should be reminded that the economic and social progress Asian countries have made owes much to the peace and stability the region has maintained in recent years. Without the stable security outlook and the state of strategic equilibrium that has been the foundation for regional development, Kerry's words about growth are meaningless.