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U.S.-China Rivalry Looms Large at Shangri-La

But the two countries’ defense chiefs won’t be holding a meeting on the summit’s sidelines.

World Brief |
Christina Lu

The U.S. and China Are Caught in a Technology Trap

The world’s two largest economies are walking a tightrope between bad blood and good business.

Report |
Rishi Iyengar, Robbie Gramer

The U.S. Needs to Get Out of the Way on China

Washington should start letting other countries take the lead.

Argument |
Luke de Pulford

What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of May 27: Another round of airstrikes batters Syria, a Senegalese opposition leader is arrested, and China makes another appeal for peace.

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Drew Gorman
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: Supercharging the U.S. Power Supply

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Japan and the US: The Bigger Picture

Supercharging the U.S. Power Supply

Toyota_Yellowstone_Battery
Toyota_Yellowstone_Battery

Toyota provided Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch with used Camry Hybrid batteries to support its off-grid power system. Source: Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.

Environmentalists often herald electric vehicles as the cars of the future. They’re less costly to own in the long run, and they reduce dependence on fossil fuels. But these eco-friendly vehicles present a new challenge for manufacturers: What do you do with the batteries when they’re no longer roadworthy?

“California and Japan have long-standing economic ties, and as two of the world’s top economies, continue to benefit from our ongoing cultural and business exchanges.”

Susanne T. Stirling
Vice president of international affairs, California Chamber of Commerce

Enter Nissan’s partnership with Green Charge Networks, a California company, to give Nissan Leaf batteries a second life. Japanese corporations have become leaders in green energy storage technologies and are partnering with U.S. companies to create sustainable power solutions across the country. Nissan and companies such as Toyota, Hitachi, Sharp, and others have brought their emphasis on smart, green innovation to the American communities in which they operate.

Lithium-ion EV batteries, such as those that power the Nissan Leaf, are engineered to perform in relatively harsh-duty cycles. Drivers need instant acceleration on the road, high- and low-speed cruising, and powerful regeneration when braking. As the batteries wear over time, the driving distance between recharges slowly declines. But the devices still pack considerable energy storage capacity even when they’re no longer able to deliver the desired driving range.

GreenChargeNetworks
GreenChargeNetworks

The Green Charge Networks Energy Storage Systems Source: Green Charge Networks

That’s why the Nissan–Green Charge Networks collaboration makes sense. Rather than waste thousands of viable power sources, Green Charge Networks has worked with Nissan to develop energy storage systems that will be able to equip schools, hospitals, universities, and retailers across California with used Leaf batteries. The devices help reduce their energy bills and usage, saving money for these U.S. organizations and helping the environment in the process.

Smarter battery programs won’t just help local U.S. residences and businesses, but they will also help maintain green spaces and parklands across the U.S. Toyota recently installed an off-the-grid power supply that draws on used Camry Hybrid batteries for Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch. The auto manufacturer began working with the park several years ago to ensure that the visitors’ center and other buildings were LEED certified, according to Jana Hartline, environmental communications manager at Toyota.

“It’s exciting to see those batteries get a second life,” Hartline said. “And it’s exciting to see these forms of cleaner, more efficient energy.” She hopes Toyota’s off-the-grid energy model in Yellowstone will serve as an example for how organizations in the U.S. and around the world can reduce their dependence on traditional power supplies.

Brad Smith, Director of EV-oPD and US4R at Nissan
Brad Smith, Director of EV-oPD and US4R at Nissan

Brad Smith, Director of EV-oPD and US4R at Nissan

WHAT MAKES U.S.–JAPANESE TECH PARTNERSHIPS PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL?

When Brad Smith met Green Charge Networks CEO Vic Shao, the two quickly realized that their companies shared a common interest in developing second-life battery solutions. For this report, the Nissan director elaborated on the potential that energy storage holds and why U.S.–Japanese partnerships succeed.

“There’s a very high expectation of technology from Japanese companies, and they continually deliver on this. On the U.S. side, there’s an innovative spirit that’s able to put new technology to use in different ways more readily than in other areas of the world. I think the combination of technology from Japan, in this case Nissan, combined with the innovative spirit of com- panies like Green Charge Networks and others brings to light a good partnership and an ability to advance grid benefits, environmental benefits, and exposure of battery technology and energy storage that may not be as possible otherwise.”

Other Stories in Japan and the US: The Bigger Picture

  • Japan and the US: The Bigger Picture — Home
  • Partners in Prosperity
  • Investing in the US and its Communities
  • Supporting U.S. Economic Growth
  • Japanese Notebook Turns the Page for Infant Health
  • Akie Abe Speaks Her Own Mind to Give Women A Voice
  • The Results Are In—Womenomics Is Working
  • FP’s U.S. Japan Forum 2016
  • Nothing but Net: Fighting the Scourge of Malaria
  • Japan’s Contribution to a More Vibrant Africa
  • Japan’s Commitment to Development in Africa
  • Japan Is a Technology and Innovation Leader
  • Takeda breathes new life into drug development
  • Fujifilm captures hope in Ebola fight
  • Combating Climate Change: A Global Commitment
  • Creating Greener Communities in the U.S.

Watch the FP Japan Event

See the replay of FP's recent event in Washington, D.C. on the future of the US-Japan relationship here.

Connect with Japan

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Political & Economic Resources

  • Government of Japan
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  • Embassy of Japan in the US
  • JapanGov Weekly
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Cultural Resources

  • Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC)
  • Nipponica Magazine
  • Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
  • Visit Japan
  • Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET)

About the Author

Casey Hynes is an independent journalist. She lived in Asia from 2010-2014, and contributed freelance features to a variety of leading media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, South China Morning Post, and others during her time there. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, and worked at Roll Call before moving overseas.

Japan and the US: The Bigger Picture is a series of sponsored reports and articles studying the long-standing alliance between Japan and the United States with a focus on unique economic and political success stories. It is underwritten by the Embassy of Japan and produced by an independent writer in conjunction with the business department of The FP Group.

Japan and the US: The Bigger Picture does not involve the editorial staff of Foreign Policy magazine or ForeignPolicy.com.

For any questions or comments, please contact Duc Luu, Director, International, at duc.luu@foreignpolicy.com.

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Are America and Europe Aligned on China?

June 7, 2023  |  11:00am ET
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The war in Ukraine has propelled the United States and Europe closer on a variety of foreign-policy issues. But do Washington and Brussels agree on how to deal with Beijing’s growing clout...Show more?  The signs are mixed. The trans-Atlantic alliance NATO has formally declared China a strategic threat, but there are also emerging gaps in how various European capitals and Washington want to engage with Beijing. What exactly are these differences, and how will they impact the world’s relations with China? Join FP’s Ravi Agrawal for a discussion with experts on both sides of the Atlantic: Cindy Yu, an assistant editor of the Spectator and host of its podcast Chinese Whispers; and James Palmer, author of FP’s weekly China Brief newsletter. FP subscribers can send in their questions in advance. 

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Inside the U.S.-China Tech War

June 20, 2023  |  11:00am ET
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Over the last few years, the United States has moved to limit China’s technological rise. U.S.-led sanctions have imposed unprecedented limits on Beijing’s access to advanced computing c...Show morehips. In response, China has accelerated its own efforts to develop its technological industry and reduce its dependence on external imports.  According to Dan Wang, a technology expert and visiting scholar at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, China’s tech competitiveness is grounded in manufacturing capabilities. And sometimes China’s strategy beats America’s.  Where is this new tech war headed? How are other countries being impacted as a result? In what ways are they reassessing their relationships with the world’s largest economic superpowers? Join FP’s Ravi Agrawal in conversation with Wang for a discussion about China’s technological rise and whether U.S. actions can really stop it. 

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on September 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden is hosting a Quad Leaders Summit later today with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (Photo by Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on September 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden is hosting a Quad Leaders Summit later today with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (Photo by Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images)

Is America Making a Bad Bet on India?

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For decades, the U.S. foreign-policy establishment has made the assumption that India could serve as a partner as the United States jostles with China for power in the Indo-Pacific region. B...Show moreut Ashley J. Tellis, a longtime watcher of U.S.-India relations, says that Washington’s expectations of New Delhi are misplaced.  In a widely read Foreign Affairs essay, Tellis makes the case that the White House should recalibrate its expectations of India. Is Tellis right?  Send in your questions for an in-depth discussion with Tellis and FP Live host Ravi Agrawal ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House on June 22.  

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