US, Japan united to deal with China, NK
U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga agreed to cooperate closely in countering China and North Korea, during their summit in Washington, D.C., Friday. "We committed to working together to take on the challenges from China and issues like the East China Sea, as well as North Korea, to ensure the future of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Biden told a joint news conference after the summit.
Toward that end, the two leaders cited the importance of a trilateral alliance among Washington, Tokyo and Seoul. The summit reconfirms the fact that the U.S.' diplomatic priority has shifted to Asia, with the goal of containing China, in particular. The U.S. has revealed its strong will to solidify its alliance with Japan and South Korea by having a respective face-to-face meeting with the leaders of the two allies, in order to grapple jointly with the challenges from China. Biden is set to have a similar summit with President Moon Jae-in late next month.
Biden and Suga dealt with diverse issues, including human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, signaling further tension with China. They also touched on the sensitive issue of Taiwan by referring to "the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," amid China's move to increase military pressure on the island.
Tokyo has reaffirmed its support for Washington in a united front against Beijing, despite the potential risks of doing so. Japan has also been attempting to wield more influence in Northeast Asia, riding on the Biden administration's strategy to contain China in the Indo-Pacific region. For one thing, the U.S. has backed Japan's decision to discharge radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
China strongly countered the joint statement saying that Biden and Suga were attempting to interfere in its domestic affairs. What is worrisome is that a backlash from Beijing and rising tension in Northeast Asia will negatively impact the Korean Peninsula. Taking advantage of such growing tension, Japan is expected to enhance its defense capabilities and expand the scope of its military activities in the region.
Suga underscored the need for North Korea's complete denuclearization, though Biden refused to mention the issue in the joint statement, saying the U.S. has yet to finalize its policy toward the North. Washington will likely ask Seoul to join its efforts to check Beijing during Biden's summit with Moon, further aggravating Korea's dilemma. Seoul will face the daunting task of strengthening its alliance with the U.S. on the one hand, and maintaining amicable ties with China on the other.
The growing rivalry between the U.S. and China will further limit South Korea's room for maneuvering. Seoul cannot solve the problem by maintaining an ambiguous attitude. The Moon administration should take a clear and straightforward stance and persuade both the U.S. and China so that they understand and support its position. Seoul should play a more active role in dealing with regional security issues, including North Korean's nuclear weapons program, and in promoting Moon's much-touted "peace process" on the peninsula.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga agreed to cooperate closely in countering China and North Korea, during their summit in Washington, D.C., Friday. "We committed to working together to take on the challenges from China and issues like the East China Sea, as well as North Korea, to ensure the future of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Biden told a joint news conference after the summit.
Toward that end, the two leaders cited the importance of a trilateral alliance among Washington, Tokyo and Seoul. The summit reconfirms the fact that the U.S.' diplomatic priority has shifted to Asia, with the goal of containing China, in particular. The U.S. has revealed its strong will to solidify its alliance with Japan and South Korea by having a respective face-to-face meeting with the leaders of the two allies, in order to grapple jointly with the challenges from China. Biden is set to have a similar summit with President Moon Jae-in late next month.
Biden and Suga dealt with diverse issues, including human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, signaling further tension with China. They also touched on the sensitive issue of Taiwan by referring to "the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," amid China's move to increase military pressure on the island.
Tokyo has reaffirmed its support for Washington in a united front against Beijing, despite the potential risks of doing so. Japan has also been attempting to wield more influence in Northeast Asia, riding on the Biden administration's strategy to contain China in the Indo-Pacific region. For one thing, the U.S. has backed Japan's decision to discharge radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
China strongly countered the joint statement saying that Biden and Suga were attempting to interfere in its domestic affairs. What is worrisome is that a backlash from Beijing and rising tension in Northeast Asia will negatively impact the Korean Peninsula. Taking advantage of such growing tension, Japan is expected to enhance its defense capabilities and expand the scope of its military activities in the region.
Suga underscored the need for North Korea's complete denuclearization, though Biden refused to mention the issue in the joint statement, saying the U.S. has yet to finalize its policy toward the North. Washington will likely ask Seoul to join its efforts to check Beijing during Biden's summit with Moon, further aggravating Korea's dilemma. Seoul will face the daunting task of strengthening its alliance with the U.S. on the one hand, and maintaining amicable ties with China on the other.
The growing rivalry between the U.S. and China will further limit South Korea's room for maneuvering. Seoul cannot solve the problem by maintaining an ambiguous attitude. The Moon administration should take a clear and straightforward stance and persuade both the U.S. and China so that they understand and support its position. Seoul should play a more active role in dealing with regional security issues, including North Korean's nuclear weapons program, and in promoting Moon's much-touted "peace process" on the peninsula.
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