Via Steve Clemons, a great observation from the U.S.-Japan alliance from Gen. Soft Power.

In the early 1990’s, many Americans regarded Japan as an economic threat. Some people – in both countries – viewed the security alliance as a Cold War relic to be discarded.

These trends were reversed by the Clinton administration’s 1995 "East Asia Strategy Report." In 1996, the Clinton-Hashimoto Declaration stated that the US-Japan security alliance was the foundation for stability that would allow growing prosperity in post-Cold War East Asia. That approach has continued on a bipartisan basis in the US, and polls show that it retains broad acceptance in Japan. Most close observers of the relationship agree that the US-Japan alliance is in much better shape today than 15 years ago.

Absolutely. The 1996 Declaration was a seriously farsighted statement. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to imagine the ways in which East Asian and Pacific Rim security spiraling out of control. What happens to South Korea-Japanese relations if South Korea believes the U.S. has more to gain from a cold-to-competitive relationship with Japan? Does North Korea consider a balance-shifting rapproachment? Does China try to enlist Japan in a balancing effort against U.S. influence in the region? And so forth.