Despite post-9/11 changes in American strategic thinking, the U.S. alliance with Japan today is more important and healthier than ever, but Japan's troubled relations with its Asian neighbors can prove to be a serious problem for the alliance, said Eric Heginbotham, a political scientist with the RAND Corp.
Japan should try to "defuse the land mines" over wartime history issues, in particular the controversy over Yasukuni Shrine that has severely hurt its ties with China and South Korea, Heginbotham told the Oct. 28 Keizai Koho Center symposium.
Heginbotham said Washington has traditionally sought three functions in alliances -- 1) to enable the United States to station troops near likely areas of conflict; 2) permit the U.S. to capitalize on strength -- particularly military strength -- of its partners in predictable ways; and 3) to help the U.S. manage diplomacy, reassure partners and influence a broader range of events far from home.