Japan

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FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2010 file photo, USS Cowpens (CG63), right, leads Japan Maritime Self Defense Force's vessels during "Keen Sword" U.S.-Japan joint military exercise over the Pacific Ocean, Friday, Dec. 10, 2010. Further U.S.-Japan drills are being held late January through early February in Japan. Even as American and Chinese leaders talked up the need for closer ties in two high-profile visits this month, the U.S. and its Asian allies are quietly boosting their defenses. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye, File)