Caught between a more aggressive China and a less predictable United States, many in Japan are coming to the realization that caution is no longer enough to guarantee their security. If this trajectory continues, it is likely to result in a U.S. ally that is more assertive, militarily capable — and central to deterring China. It is crucial that the United States encourage this evolution while ensuring that it strengthens, rather than weakens, regional stability.

 

Sanae Takaichi’s Rise Changes the Game for China

By Joshua Walker

Mr. Walker, president and C.E.O. of the U.S.-based Japan Society, wrote from Tokyo.