The Japan-United States security alliance took a critical step last weekend. The two governments released a joint declaration that made explicit what has long been left unsaid in their thinking about regional security. The new statement provides a foundation for the continued vitality and relevance of the bilateral alliance. Most important, it makes plain the interests both countries have in extending their relationship and how they can work together to build a safer world.
The Security Consultative Committee (SCC) is a regular bilateral get-together that includes the top officials from each country dealing with foreign and defense affairs. Last weekend's meeting involved Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura and Defense Agency Director General Yoshinori Ono and their U.S. counterparts, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. It was notable on several counts. The most important was that it marked the first real attempt to present a rationale for the alliance in the post-September 11 world.
The last SCC meeting was held in December 2002. Then, the participants reiterated their commitment to the alliance and the need to work together to combat new threats. But the statement read more like a policy checklist than a genuine and fundamental appraisal of the bilateral relationship.