Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Wednesday portrayed the Japan-US alliance as the foundation for better relations with China and South Korea. The remark, however, does not justify itself because of the current tense ties with other Asian countries.
After his meeting with US President George W. Bush, Koizumi spared no effort to laud the “most indispensable” friendship with its decades-old ally.
Bearing that notion in mind, Koizumi has taken pains to meet the demands of Washington — from the assistance to the war in Afghanistan and to the dispatchment of troops to Iraq.