Why Japan’s ‘comfort women’ apology is a coup for Washington and a blow for Beijing

As Japan and South Korea concluded a highly symbolic year with a historical deal to “finally and irreversibly” resolve the wartime “comfort women” dispute, analysts said the intensifying geostrategic competition in the region has been given an unexpected stir: a gain for Washington but an irritant for Beijing.

While hopes have been high that the agreement, announced on Monday in Seoul, would improve relations between the two countries, challenges remain for the estranged neighbours to get over the highly emotional issue.

Relations between the two countries have been toxic since Japan’s Shinzo Abe and South Korea’s Park Geun-hye took power three years ago largely due to the two leaders’ hard-line stance on the “comfort women” dispute. Park had until last month refused to meet with Abe due to his revisionist view on the issue.

Watch: South Korea, Japan reach landmark agreement to resolve ‘comfort women’ issue

Monday’s accord could not only help remove a heavy logjam in bilateral ties, but also boost the United States’ presence in the region, analysts said.