U.S. President Barack Obama is committing his biggest strategic blunder by simultaneously taking on both great powers China and Russia. Ted Galen Carpenter of the Cato Institute calls it "a cardinal sin in foreign policy."

On the eve of his visit to Japan, Obama committed two firsts: for the first time, a sitting U.S. president declared that the U.S.-Japan security treaty applied to China's Diaoyu Islands.

In a written response to questions published in Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, Obama said, "The policy of the United States is clear: The Senkaku islands are administered by Japan and therefore fall under the United States-Japan Treaty," he wrote. "We oppose any unilateral attempts to undermine Japan's administration of these islands."

His statement seems to reassure Japan that the United States would come to its defense if China were to seize the islands.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang responded that China holds "indisputable sovereignty" over the islands, and said "the so-called Japan-United States alliance should not harm China's territorial rights." He added, "We firmly oppose applying the Japan-United States security treaty to the issue of the Diaoyu Islands. The United States should respect facts, take a responsible attitude, remain committed to not taking sides on territory and sovereignty issues, speak and act prudently and earnestly play a constructive role in regional peace and stability."

General Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission declared in no uncertain terms, "China will never swallow the bitter pill of ceding its sovereign rights to any country." He uttered these comments on April 23 to delegates attending the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in the port city of Qingdao.

Obama's other first is no less offensive. Also in answer to Yomiuri Shimbun, Obama explicitly backs Japan's claim to the right of collective self-defense (CSD). He was also the first sitting American president to do so. That is tantamount to supporting Japan's remilitarization, a betrayal of the world order as established by the allies' victory over fascism in World War II.

In fact, as early as January 23, the U.S. Ambassador to Tokyo Catherine Kennedy told Asahi Shimbun in an interview: "Japan will be a more effective alliance partner if its self-defense Forces are able to help defend American soldiers if they are attacked." That had to be an authoritative indicator of the Obama administration's preferences.

In Japan itself, Obama once again repeated the abovementioned provocative statements. With his encouragement, Japan may take adventurous steps leading to conflagration. China's naval Commander Wu Shengli warned that China would be prepared to meet any conflict by accident.

China's diplomatic and military heavyweights are now up in arms over Obama's provocations.

One day after Obama's Vice President Joe Biden visited Kiev, where he declared Washington would never recognize Russia's "annexation" of Crimea, Ukraine's interim president Olexandr Turchinov ordered his security forces to resume "anti-terror" operations in eastern Ukraine.

Just who are the terrorists? It is well known that the February 22 coup in Kiev was spearheaded by the neo-Nazi militia associated with Svoboda and the Right Sector. So they were rewarded with control of four ministries and their storm troopers were incorporated into a paramilitary "National Guard." It is this force that is being sent to East Ukraine to stand up to the protestors.

This new role of the neo-Nazi militia was announced by none other than Andriy Parubiy, head of the Ukrainian National Security Council, founder of the Social National Party of Ukraine in 1991, the forerunner of Svoboda. It was Parubiy, who announced on Twitter that "reserve unit of National Guard formed by the Maidan self-defense volunteers was sent to the front line this morning."

These militants have already killed three protestors. Should they launch a large-scale offensive, this would surely get a stern response from Russia.

In sum, by taking on China and Russia at the same time, Obama has now allied himself with a remilitarizing Japan as well as neo-Nazis.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/zhaojinglun.htm

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

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