Financial Times FT.com

Japan to pay price for US friendship

By Mure Dickie and Daniel Dombey in Washington

Published: February 23 2009 18:17 | Last updated: February 23 2009 18:17

The past week has been full of happy surprises for Japanese fretting about the future of their alliance with the US.

First Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, largely dispelled fears that she might neglect Japan in favour of China with a charm-infused visit. She used official encounters, a town hall meeting and a shrine pilgrimage to stress the importance of ties with Tokyo as a “cornerstone” of US foreign policy.

Allies: a Japanese soldier in Iraq in 2004 in support of US reconstruction efforts

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