Trans-pacific partnership

Daniel Sneider, director of Stanford University's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and Richard Katz, editor of the Oriental Economist Report state that U.S - Japan alliance would continue to be the cornerstone of the new DPJ Government. In an article in Foreign Policy, "The New Asianism", they seek to allay any fears of a fundamental shift in the DPJ stance towards security and economic affairs and highlight that Japan is taking steps to ensure that its not relegated as a regional leader in East Asia.

Change in the Land of the Rising Sun

Yukio Hatoyama, President of Japan states that the creation of an East Asian community to support economic cooperation and national security in the wake of declining U.S. power and expanding Chinese power was one of his goals as President. In an op-ed in Wall Street Journal “'My Political Philosophy' The Banner of Party Politician Ichiro Hatoyama” he argues that the underlying structures required for the formation of a regional economic bloc were already in place and that the way to reduce bilateral tensions was to move towards greater regional integration targeting the establishment of a future common Asian currency.