Japan must loosen its restrictions on collective self-defense to strengthen its alliance with the United States, according to a report recently published by a U.S. think tank.
The report identifies the ban on collective self-defense as a "fundamental" question as Tokyo and Washington seek to expand combined efforts on missile defense, maintaining air superiority, maritime security and strike operations.
The report was authored by Michael Auslin, a resident scholar in Asian studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, and Christopher Griffin, a legislative assistant on defense policy to Sen. Joseph Lieberman and a former AEI research fellow.
"Most important perhaps, Tokyo must address the obstacle of its restrictions on collective self-defense," said the 44-page report titled "Securing Freedom — The U.S.-Japanese Alliance in a New Era."