For Mongolia, the difficulty of reaching out to Japan is exactly the same reason for pursuing it — geography. A third neighbor, in theory, would offer a reprieve from potential Chinese or Russian pressure. But such a policy could prove unproductive. For example, in the event Mongolia was in a crisis with either Russia or China, any country offering assistance to Mongolia would have to traverse one of its two neighbors and, in doing so, would violate Chinese or Russian territory. In other words, China or Russia would have to acquiesce to aid meant to counterbalance Chinese or Russian pressure. This is an extreme scenario, but in international relations, such scenarios can define how far a nation is willing to go in establishing and expanding relations and building alliances. Japan is an island nation beset by a dearth of natural resources.