Critics long have charged that Washing-ton's military commitments to wealthy allies in Western Europe and East Asia encourage those nations to "free ride" on the U.S. security guarantee. The accuracy of such allegations was demonstrated with unusual clarity in early 1995 when Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye unveiled his department's latest East Asia strategy report, which affirmed that the U.S. would keep approximately 100,000 troops in East Asia indefinitely. Five days later, Japan's Kyodo News Service announced that the Japanese government hoped to reduce its troop levels and weapons by approximately 20% and cut military spending over the next five years.
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