Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the interaction of the US alliance policy in Asia with its decision to revise the US-Japan security treaty. It argues that the decision was influenced by the trend to maintain the hub-and-spokes system and reinforced the trend further.

Paper long abstract:

　In the early 1950s, the US government formed a network of bilateral military alliances (the hub-and-spokes system) in Asia, and it adopted a policy goal toward creating a comprehensive regional alliance like NATO in Europe. Japan was expected to contribute to regional security as a key member of the regional alliance in the future. However, in 1958, the US decided to start revising the US-Japan security treaty of 1951 into an equal one, and thereby the hub-and-spokes system had been strengthened.

　This paper argues that the decision was influenced by the trend to maintain the hub-and-spokes system and reinforced the trend further. The US initially considered it desirable to form a collective alliance in Asia because of burden-sharing with its Asian allies. Therefore, the US discussed the feasibility of specific proposals, such as the Organization of Pacific States (a regional alliance of Pacific countries), the Republic of China's army unit assigned to be dispatched to the Asian theater under the US's command ("Fire Brigade"), and the ROC-ROK(South Korea)-South Vietnam alliance. Although these proposals could have partially archived the goal, the US rejected them mainly because these proposals could have made it difficult to localize conflicts in Asia. In the late 1950s, there were doubts in the US government about the validity of the goal.

　Their doubts facilitated the revision of the US-Japan security treaty. In 1958, the US was preparing to begin negotiations for the revision of the treaty. The State Department tried to leave room for a collective alliance in the future by including a provision for expanding membership in the new treaty. Nevertheless, the provision would never have been accepted by the Japanese public who feared being drawn into wars overseas. The US Embassy in Tokyo strongly opposed it, and the State Department dropped it because the collective alliance project was already in doubt. The new US-Japan security treaty stabilized relations with Japan and contributed to strengthening the hub-and-spokes system.

　These considerations were a process of learning that collective alliance in Asia was neither desirable nor feasible. Finally, in 1959, the US officially abandoned the goal.