TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's vision for an Asian NATO set a precedent for a similar Cold War-era idea proposed by the United States, but now faces stiffer obstacles as the United States has been reluctant to sign on to an agreement that would have protected other countries.
NATO, the Atlantic collective defense framework, positioned the Soviet Union as its main threat during the Cold War and now sees Russia as a possible enemy. Ishiba's Asian NATO isn't entirely clear at this point, but it could see Japan, the United States, Australia and Southeast Asian nations uniting against an increasingly assertive China.