Japan's policy of prioritizing its economic interests undermined its role of aiding the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a leading U.S. journal.
In an essay published in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, due out Aug. 24, writers Eric Heginbotham and Richard Samuels describe Japan's stance as a continuation of its doctrine of "double hedging."
"On the one hand, Japan has relied on its alliance with the United States as a hedge against threats. On the other hand, Japan has cultivated different partners -- including some the United States identifies as present or potential security threats -- to hedge against economic dangers," according to the essay, which is titled "Japan's Dual Hedge."
Even if Tokyo undertakes additional symbolic military measures in the future to meet U.S. expectations, "it is unlikely to be any more supportive of active military cooperation with the United States either globally or in East Asia on issues beyond its own defense."
"The reasons are strategic -- Japan's leaders are neither doves nor hawks but pragmatists, for whom economic and military security are equally important," the essay says.