TOKYO -- U.S. security allies in Asia and Europe are now closer to each other than ever, as seen in the first participation of Japan, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand in a NATO summit late last month.
At the June 29 meeting in Madrid, NATO adopted a new mission statement known as Strategic Concept for the coming 10 years, positioning China as a major threat to the global order. The military alliance vowed to counter Beijing's growing influence through close cooperation with the U.S. and its allies in Asia.
