As so many have said before, there is no bilateral relationship more important than that between the United States and Japan. The United States and Japan have strong security and economic ties and interdependence. In addition they share common goals and values such as freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights. In the security area the two countries are joined by the Mutual Security Treaty of 1960. Nearly half of the 100,000 members of the U.S. Forces forward deployed in the Asia-pacific region are in Japan, and those forces and our alliance contribute greatly to regional stability.
Economic ties are enormous.
The United States is Japan's largest trading partner for both imports and exports, and Japan is the United States' second largest trading partner after Canada. As large, affluent democracies, the United States and Japan share interests that go beyond our bilateral security and trade relationships. The United States and Japan are diplomatic partners within the Asia-Pacific region and throughout the world. The two countries collaborate on a wide range of medical, environmental, scientific and civil society programs under the very successful Common Agenda. It is an active and generous participant in the Middle East Peace Process.