Japan is regarded among the American public and opinion leaders as the most important country in Asia, according to the results of an annual survey by the Foreign Ministry.

It was the first time in four years that the survey, released Friday, found that both U.S. groups viewed Japan in such a positive light.

The ministry commissioned Nielsen Consumer Insights Inc. to conduct the survey, which found that 46 percent of the 1,003 Americans aged 18 and over who were polled consider Japan the most important Asian partner for the United States, up 11 points from last year. Twenty-six percent of them chose China, a decrease of 13 points.