ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the economic foundations based on the cotton trade that pre-dated World War II led to Pakistan and Japan becoming remarkably close partners during 1947-57. These economic interests were powerfully reinforced by the role each country played in the US global security strategy of the containment of communism. Because of the important mutual economic interests, Pakistan saw advantage in the rehabilitation of Japan in the international arena. Only after this was achieved could Pakistan benefit fully from Japanese trade and industrial know-how. These economic prospects also depended on the US security umbrella. The first crucial element was the signing of a peace treaty with Japan, in the negotiation of which Pakistan played a notable part. Other US security arrangements with Japan followed, and elsewhere in Asia, the United States induced Pakistan to join anti-communist alliances. Thus Pakistan and Japan found their strong mutual economic interests reinforced by membership of the same anti-communist security system. In 1957 the usefulness of the relationship was highlighted by the visit to Japan of the Pakistani Prime Minister – the first visit to Japan since the war by an Asian head of government. Within a month the Japanese Prime Minister was able to visit, for the first time since the war, six Asian countries. Japanese trade in the region rapidly expanded. The utility of the Pakistan-Japan relationship had been demonstrated.
