It was a subject of my recent post, (also here, here and here) that the unreliability of the alliances with the United States under the Obama Administration, has prompted many Middle Eastern countries (particularly Saudi Arabia) to change their defense policy - purchasing more arms and building closer alliances with their neighbors.
Apparently a very similar thing is taking place in the Pacific region, where the traditional wariness of the Japanese influence has been replaced by the fear of China, which prompts formation of new alliances (between Japan and Singapore, India, Vietnam and Philippines):
"Following decades of near-isolation under the American security umbrella, Japan had in recent years been gradually expanding its ties with neighbors, including many—such as Vietnam and the Philippines—that it invaded and occupied during World War II.
Japan signed its first defense memorandum in Southeast Asia with Singapore in 2009. The moves appear to have accelerated after a September 2010 standoff with Beijing over the contested archipelago known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China."
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