Japans Alliance Politics

Japan's alliance with the United States is examined with reference to defence production and technology-sharing. The alliance's post-Cold-War relevance is considered. It is argued that there is a danger of significant tensions arising in the relationship from parallel rather than identical national interests. A widening gap between the respective interests forms a potentially fatal flaw in the relationship. Failure to move beyond bilateralism to multilateral answers threatens to undermine the search for regional peace.

Japan's alliance with the United States is examined with reference to defence production and technology-sharing. The alliance's post-Cold-War relevance is considered. It is argued that there is a danger of significant tensions arising in the relationship from parallel rather than identical national interests. A widening gap between the respective interests forms a potentially fatal flaw in the relationship. Failure to move beyond bilateralism to multilateral answers threatens to undermine the search for regional peace.

Booknews

Traces the evolution of the alliance between Japan and the US since 1951 with particular reference to the politics of defense production and related technology sharing. Shows that the growing tension between the trans-Pacific buddies reveals that the national interests of the two countries have not in fact been identical or even parallel and are now diverging. Concludes that trade and defense conflicts are merely symptoms of a deeper malaise, and that the bilateral relationship must be converted into a multilateral arrangement to avoid serious threats to the security of the region. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Neil Renwick is Co-Director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies and Reader in International Relations at The Nottingham Trent University.