In the current uncertain and challenging international political environment, the US-Japan alliance has never been stronger or more important than it is now; yet it has never faced as many challenges and hurdles than it does today. Under President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the alliance is steadfast and unwavering. But global instability, renewed geopolitical competition, flashpoints like the Korean Peninsula, and China’s growing strategic footprint and uncertain role in the global order threaten the stability of the Asia-Pacific – and with it—the US-Japan alliance. This new US-Japan Joint Policy Report 2018, released in conjunction with the Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR) and the National Defense University, explores the dynamic relationship between Washington, DC and Tokyo and the future of the US-Japan alliance. Stronger than Ever but More Challenged than Ever: The US-Japan Alliance in the Trump-Abe Era examines the relationship over seven chapters focused on: The Alliance Today; The Evolving International Order; The International Order in the Asia-Pacific Region; Japan, the Alliance, and the Regional Order; Trump and the Alliance; Abe and the Alliance; and Making the Alliance Work. It offers concrete analysis and outlines policy recommendations for decision makers in the United States and Japan as both countries work to uphold the international order, ensure stability in the Asia-Pacific, and reaffirm their commitment to the alliance.

The Japan Forum on International Relations was established in Tokyo, Japan in March 1987 with the goal of providing policy-oriented research independent of the government of Japan. Granted status as a “public interest foundation” in April 2011, JFIR works to analyze and propose solutions to the issues challenging the international system today.

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