May Brief: The Significance of the Japan-US Alliance amid the Evolving World Order

The Significance of the Japan-US Alliance amid the Evolving World Order

In April 2024, during an official tour to the United States, the Prime Minister of Japan discussed potential advancements in the bilateral relations between the USA and Japan. Both the leaders discussed the significance of strengthening the foundation of alliance between both states. Both states agreed upon fostering a powerful alliance that can overcome economic vulnerabilities. However, most noteworthy is that both states are considering extending these relations on a multilateral level. Hence, it is highlighted that the USA-Japan alliance will continue to grow globally. Biden stated the importance of the US-Japan alliance in the following words: “The unbreakable alliance between Japan and the United States is the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world”. The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom are now considering including Japan in the second pillar of the AUKUS defence partnership, which focuses on cooperation on advanced capabilities, including AI and autonomous systems. Japan was also promised its shared role in NASA’s Artemis project of moon landing.

The US and Japan share a wide history of bilateral relations and share foundations of fruitful ties. The year, 2020 marked the 60th anniversary of the healthy relations between both states. Maintaining friendly ties with Japan is fundamental for the USA and is a means to maintain healthy ties extending to central Asia. The US-Japan alliance is quite crucial for the regional and security alliance within larger Asia. The cooperative relations between the USA and Japan are vitally based on mutual interests and goals. Furthermore, the promotion of economic and political interests remains the highlighted goals of both states. Incorporating stability and peace while fostering democracy and the human rights of people living in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the core pillars of the US-Japan bilateral relations.

Fundamentally, one of the US-Japan alliance's major competitive advantages is balancing China’s ever-growing power. The United States and Japan have received a competitive advantage from Beijing’s economic growth due to increased commercial bilateral ties. However, despite its growing economic power, China’s rapid escalation of the political and military influences signals the potential chances of China’s rapid influence. The Chinese dominance in the region poses a threat to the existing international order where China is trying to contest Washington’s position in the world and the Indo-Pacific region through its surging influence. Hence, it is fundamentally crucial for Japan and the USA to bolster its partnership on a global level.

Furthermore, the advent of the Russia-Ukraine war has brought a shift in the world order. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the USA was faced with another challenge of Beijing’s partnership with Russia during the Ukraine war signals the rising powerful alliance of Russia and China. In the past few decades, the US-Japan diplomatic relations have been shaped by a strategy aimed at containing the Soviet expansion, a legacy that endures even after the Cold War till the contemporary day. The US-Japan partnership also supports a joint security alliance quite similar to the NATO in Europe. Hence, this alliance also strengthens the defence and provides a fortification against the ambitions of Moscow. This has become particularly significant in the light of recent event of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.