Until recently, the two countries had very little interaction. They do not share a territorial dispute or a record of hostilities. However, they do share some underlying values.

Read about these shared interests online at:  http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20110907a1.html

Jeffrey W. Hornung is associate professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu.

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The views expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of APCSS, the U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.