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Tokyo (ANTARA News) - Japan is seen by the American public as the most important Asian partner for the United States, the foreign ministry said Thursday, citing an annual survey.

The ministry's poll showed that 43 percent of 1,500 American adults in a "general public" category considered Japan the "most important partner of the United States in the Asian region."

The figure was down from 48 percent in 2007, according to the telephone poll conducted by the US Gallup Organisation earlier this year.

China stood unchanged at 34 percent and Russia edged up two points to 10 percent.

South Korea and India each had a score of 1 percent.

The survey, the "US Image of Japan Study," was also conducted on 250 "opinion leaders" in the fields of government, business, academia, mass media, religion and labour unions, the ministry was quoted by AFP as saying.

Of those groups, 54 percent named Japan as the top US partner in Asia, compared with 38 percent for China and five percent for Russia.

Japan has been seen as the top US partner in the general public survey since 1975. But the top spot in the survey of opinion leaders changed hands between Japan and China until 1987, since when Japan has been ahead.

Asked if Japan is a "dependable ally or friend," 67 percent of those polled in the general public category said yes, down from an all-time high of 74 percent registered in 2007.

Among the opinion leaders, 92 percent saw Japan as dependable, the ministry said.

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