The U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers met in New York City on Monday morning and revised the Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation. The whole revision process has drawn considerable international attention since the two countries decided to revise the guidelines in October, 2013.　

The U.S. and Japan claim that the revision represents an adjustment to the changing world situation. Both countries hold that the U.S. and Japan are improving their capabilities, which is one of the important changes in the world situation. Both sides emphasize that Japan plays an increasingly important role in U.S.-Japan defense cooperation, which should be outlined in the guideline. They have discovered another important change - new security threats to both countries. In order to address these threats, the revised guidelines allow for regional and global cooperation in the U.S.-Japan alliance, and cooperation in traditional and new areas such as space security and cyberspace issues.

The revised guidelines reflect the core interests of the closer U.S.-Japan alliance. Readers of the guidelines might feel curious about what kind of international relations are needed in the current world situation.

Alliances and confrontation have been the two dominant traditional models in international relations. These models do not fit the current world situation. It is time to build new international relations.

When talking about new international relations, we want to build international relations featuring equality, peace and tolerance.

Firstly, we insist on establishing equality in international relations. As an alliance is always centered around a single nation, it is difficult to ensure equality among the alliance members. An alliance always imposes its strength and power on countries which are not members. Only when states embrace shared values can they build an alliance. Naturally, these states always forcibly promote their own values and social systemsh. Building an alliance reverses the trend of multi-polarization. In the new international relations, states should value each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence, and respect each other's development paths and values.　

Secondly, peaceful cooperation is also at the core of the new international cooperation. Alliances are believers in the law of the jungle and players of the zero-sum game. They tend to interfere with the internal affairs of other states and engender global instability. In response to this dangerous situation, the international community agrees to seek peace rather than war, practice multilateralism rather than unilateralism and engage in dialogue rather than confrontation. In the new international relations, states should avoid the intervention of military factors in relations among countries. In addition, they should ensure that alliances are not targeted at a third party. Moreover, they should build a shared, comprehensive, collaborative and sustainable security concept, insist on peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and negotiations and strongly oppose resorting to force or the threat of force.

Thirdly, we want to build tolerant international relations. Exclusive military alliances always pursue their own interests and violate international morality and fundamental principles. In the new international relations, states should seek common grounds , manage differences, take into consideration the demands, rights and interests of many countries, and seek common development.　

Win-win cooperation is the core of the new international relations. China offers this concept of new international relations, but China is not able to build these new relations by itself.

This article was edited and translated from 《新的历史条件下需要新型国际关系》，source: People's Daily, author: Su Xiaohui