An alliance cheaper than a Far East fleet

The partnership raised the cost of attacking either power: an opponent of Britain risked Japan in Asia, while a power challenging Japan had to account for British sea power. The prospect of a wider naval conflict kept France from aiding Russia in the Russo-Japanese War and left Japan's opponent isolated. Britain, meanwhile, avoided the peacetime expense of keeping its dominant fleet permanently concentrated in East Asia while retaining the ability to reinforce the region. The deterrent depended on forward presence, basing expense, industrial endurance, and the difficulty of concentrating a rival fleet in the region.