ABSTRACT
Under President George W. Bush, the United States moved beyond containment to a new global strategy of building a community of market democracies. To replace containment in Asia, the Bush administration adopted a strategy of building a new partnership in the Pacific with closer, more equal, and more comprehensive ties being established with traditional allies like Japan. The process of redefining US global and regional strategy continued under the Clinton administration, which adopted most aspects of Bush strategy. Various configurations have been suggested, but the most widely discussed emphasize the US-Japan-China strategic triangle and the US-Japan-China-Russia strategic quadrangle. A set of strategic options can be envisioned for Japan. Strategies of integration vary not only in terms of their dimension but also in terms of their organizational goal and methods of decisionmaking. Strategies of integration are based on the assumption that greater cooperation between states strengthens the international system at the same time that it serves national interests.
