Yasuhiro Nakasone, a former Japanese prime minister with his Cold War-era tenure best characterized by his close bond with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and pursuit of a robust bilateral alliance, died Friday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said. He was 101.Nakasone, in office between 1982 and 1987, witnessed Japan's rise as an economic power and trade friction with the United States while enjoying the "Ron-Yasu" friendship. Siding with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he aimed to raise the country's presence as a member of the West that confronted the former Soviet Union.At ho…READ FULL ARTICLE
