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Japan maintains close economic and military ties and remains friends with its key ally and partner, the United States, and therefore the US-Japan security alliance serves as the cornerstone of its foreign policy. For example Japan contributed non-combatant troops to the Operation Iraqi Freedom with the United States and others. Japan is a member state of the United Nations and currently serving as a non-permanent Security Council member. It is also one of the "G4 nations" seeking permanent membership in the Security Council. Japan is a member of the G8, the APEC, the "ASEAN plus three", and a participant in the East Asia Summit. Also Japan is the world's second-largest donor of official development assistance (ODA), donating 0.19% of its Gross National Income in 2004. With its geographical neighbors, it has several territorial disputes (islands). For example it has territorial disputes with Russia over the Kuril Islands, with South Korea over Takeshima, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (Taiwan) over the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyutai Islands), and with the People's Republic of China over the status of Okinotori. These disputes are in part about the control of marine and natural resources, such as possible reserves of crude oil and natural gas. These disputes are just territorial (islands) and doesn't amount to any serious crisis in all of the countries involved. In recent years, Japan has had an ongoing dispute with North Korea over its abduction of Japanese citizens and most seriously nuclear weapons program and missile programs and has proposed UN sanctions against North Korea along with others. It has officially condemned North Korean missile tests. It also has cooperated with the U.S. to build missile defense system after the North Korean 2006 missile tests. As member of the G8, the collection of highly industrialized nations, Japan maintains good and cordial relationship with many countries in the world such those in Europe, South America, Africa, etc., as a key trading partner and a friend |
Japan Information: Inside
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