Japan needs to stop relying on the U.S. for its defense and form a security alliance with other Asian nations if it is to become a respectable global leader in the decades to come, according to the founder and president of Washington-based think tank Economic Strategy Institute.
Clyde Prestowitz said U.S. defense budget cuts could mean a reduction in its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, where it is currently focusing its foreign policy.
In that scenario, Washington, with its own interests in mind, won't be as reliable if and when a military conflict arises between Japan and China, said Prestowitz in an interview with The Japan Times last month.