The following are recommendations for the US-Japan alliance, given by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Tokyo and Washington should revitalize nuclear energy research and development cooperation and promote safe nuclear reactor designs and sound regulatory practices globally.

The United States and Japan should be natural resource allies.

Washington, Tokyo and Seoul should expand track 2 dialogue on historical issues.

The alliance must develop capabilities and policies to respond to China's rise.

Developing a concrete action agenda on human rights is an admirable goal.

The United States and Japan should align concepts such as Air Sea Battle and Dynamic Defense through the Roles, Missions and Capabilities dialogue.

US Army/Marine Corps cooperation with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force should make progress toward interoperability and move toward an amphibious, agile and deployable force posture.

The US and Japan should improve the quality of their bilateral defense exercises by utilizing rotating civilian airports, testing lessons learned from Operation Tomodachi and enhancing amphibious capabilities. Operation Tomodachi was a US military assistance to support Japan in disaster relief in the wake of Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

The US and Japan should increase opportunities for joint development of future weaponry.

The US and Japan should reinvigorate the extended deterrence dialogue (perhaps in conjunction with the Republic of Korea) to ensure equal confidence in the credibility and capability of US extended deterrence over its key allies.

The US and Japan should establish a Joint Cyber Security Center for research and implementation of common information assurance standards.

(China Daily 08/17/2012 page12)