Summary
In this report, Armitage and Nye examine the current status of the alliance between the U.S. and Japan. The health and welfare of the U.S.-Japan Alliance is endangered because of multiple threats, including the rise of China and North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Japan faces its own domestic problems. Its declining birth rate, debt-to-GDP ratio, and the fact that the nation has seen 6 different prime ministers in the past 6 years signal that Japan may downgrade from a tier-one nation to a tier-two one. The Japanese economy, though, sits as third largest in the world, exceeding that of China’s. Its self defense forces have the potential to play a larger role in enhancing Japanese security. The nation’s soft power has earned Japan a spot in the top three countries in international respect. These qualities show that Japan has massive potential to be a greater power than it is currently.
Japan, as argued by Armitage and Nye, needs to move forward with the U.S. if both nations want the symbiotic alliance to persist and succeed since the U.S. needs a strong Japan, and Japan needs a strong U.S. This greater alliance will allow for both involved parties to adequately address and resolve great issues of the day.