The Japan-U.S. alliance is evolving into one that "plays a vital role in enhancing regional and global peace and stability," according to a joint statement issued last month by the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries. The statement sets common strategic goals for dealing with the new security environment in the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world.
Ministers attending so-called 2-plus-2 security talks agreed not only on regional goals -- particularly those related to resolving security problems involving the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait -- but also on global goals such as fighting international terrorism and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
The global "transformation" of U.S. forces now under way is intended to change the Japan-U.S. alliance as well. As U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at a press conference, "(The security meeting) is an opportunity to continue the momentum toward strengthening and transforming this important alliance."