

Human: What countries in the world are the closest allies?

Assistant: The closest allies are often categorized as allies in a “security alliance,” which means they pledge to come to each other’s aid militarily in the event of an attack on one of the countries. Here is a list of countries that share a security alliance: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and the United States. An additional group of countries often considered part of the NATO alliance; NATO stands for “North Atlantic Treaty Organization.” Close allies of the United States also include Japan, South Korea, Turkey, and Germany.

Human: Why does the US have such close ties with South Korea and Japan?

Assistant: The US signifies a long-term commitment to these countries due to a series of shared security alliances, including the 1951 Treaty with Japan, the 1967 Treaty of Peace with Japan, the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, the signing of a mutual defense aid agreement in 1951, and major US military presence in South Korea and Japan. The countries share a mutual concern for China’s increasing geopolitical power, especially in the region.

Human: What countries are allied with China against the west?

Assistant: 
China’s military and political alliances are directly linked to the country’s national goals and growing geopolitical power, primarily focused on the region of East Asia. China has strong strategic alliances and engagements with a broad range of countries, including some of the nation’s geographically closest and most populous neighbors, such as North Korea, Pakistan, Iran, and Vietnam, as well as close partners like Russia. China is also a strategic partner with other world powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France, who share a mutual concern for China’s increasing geopolitical power. Some nations do not share formal military alliances with China, but maintain diplomatic relations and political leaderships that are considered favorable, rarely if ever condemning China for human rights violations, for example. These countries include India, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Venezuela, South Africa, and Turkey.
China maintains strong economic and diplomatic ties with several nations around the world, but it does do business primarily with countries in the Pacific Rim. These include: Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Myanmar, Singapore, Fiji, Malaysia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Cambodia, and Thailand. Other countries have weaker diplomatic relations with China, including Iran, Syria, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Russia, Brunei, and Indonesia. Some countries have a more tense relationship with China, including Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and India. There is growing concern around China’s rising military strength and influence in the Pacific Rim, which has an impact on US relations with countries in the region.