Strategic hedging in Canberra (and Tokyo)

Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) and Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith shake hands in New York, on September 21, 2009. (Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

Author: Tobias Harris, MIT

Writing at The National Interest Online, the Cato Institute’s Ted Galen Carpenter points to a ‘dual uneasiness’ in Australia, that ‘is creating an incentive for Canberra to hedge its bets and become, ever so quietly, more independent regarding security issues and capabilities.’

Change a few of the proper nouns and this article could be a fair account of the direction that Japanese foreign policy will trend in the years to come. Read more…