Japan Works to Win Friends and Influence the Region

For seven decades, the United States has been Japan's most important bilateral ally. During U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Japan this week, he and newly re-elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe demonstrated the close bonds their countries share. Nevertheless, changes to the global order in the past several years have raised new questions about the partnership. China's rise to international prominence, for instance, has cast doubt on whether Japan can continue to rely on the United States to guarantee its security. Japan's best strategy for navigating this new phase in geopolitics will be to keep the United States as close as possible while making new arrangements with other countries that can help protect its interests....