Only 4 percent approve Japan's participation in combat operations. Twenty-four percent oppose any kind of cooperation. The majority of Americans and Japanese having positive views of their bilateral relations has risen somewhat during the past several years, but remains considerably below levels recorded in the 1980s. At the same time, U.S.-Japanese relations are considered to be as important as ever by both publics. The United States retained the top ranking it has held among Japanese since this poll was introduced in 1978.
China heads the list for both the U.S. and Japanese publics.
Fifty-six percent of Japanese mentioned China, and 25 percent named the United States. Three-fourths of the U.S. and Japanese publics concur that Japan is the leading Asian country today. Twenty years from now, however, both publics give the edge to China. U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda USIA Electronic Journal, Vol.