The interrelationships of the United States and Japan with Micronesia, a U.S. dependency, and Papua New Guinea, a newly independent nation, are the focus of this study. The authors demonstrate that dependence does not by any means automatically terminate by virtue of a legal change in political status. To a surprising extent, Micronesia (the last UN trusteeship) and independent Papua New Guinea depend for their very survival on the United States and Japan. The authors point out that the interests of the United States and Japan in this region too often–and unnecessarily–operate in isolation from one another and in direct conflict. Cooperative U.S.-Japanese efforts are vital in this area; whatever plans are made for the region, they must be island-specific, culturally congruent, politically sensitive, and economically viable.
