This past Sunday, the South Korean Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, wrapped up a noteworthy four-day sojourn to the United States. He affirmed the commitment of South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung administration to participate in the maneuverings directed against China, in alignment with Washington’s ongoing geopolitical interests. The visit serves as a prelude to a forthcoming summit including Lee and the US President Trump scheduled for later this month. A significant discussion took place between Cho and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on July 31, which was the first of its kind since Cho assumed office on July 19th.
A substantial point of the meeting revolved around the ‘modernization’ of the military alliance between the US and South Korea. The South Korean Foreign Ministry claims that this updating process aims to fortify the strategic significance of the alliance and simultaneously bolster it in the face of evolving regional security and economic landscapes. As the new ‘liberal’ government, headed by Lee, took control just two months ago, swift strides have been taken to align itself with Trump’s mandate for Asia-Pacific allies to ramp up their military readiness against China.
The term ‘modernization’, in this context, stands as a testament to the support extended from Lee’s side, contradicting the narrative that his administration intends to improve relations with Beijing or lower the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Washington is focused on utilizing its military might in order to strike a balance against its waning economic influence and prevent the rise of China as a mainstream competitor. A key point of this plan involves the use of military resources to pressure and potentially provoke Beijing, primarily regarding concerns over Taiwan.
An integral part of the strategy by the Trump administration includes a demand for increased military expenditure by its allies to an ambitious figure of 5 percent of their GDP. For South Korea, the implications are significant, essentially necessitating a doubling of the existing military budget. Washington and Seoul are actively collaborating to ensure that the presence of US Forces in Korea facilitates potential strikes based out of the country.
Significantly, the military forces of the US and South Korea exhibit a deep level of interconnectivity and often conduct enormous military exercises in and around the Korean Peninsula. This operational approach currently integrates Japan, representing a new level of trilateral military cooperation. Additionally, in the instance of armed conflict, the United States exercises tactical control over the massive military armaments of South Korea, further deepening their ties.
In anticipation of his Washington visit, Cho made a diplomatic stopover in Tokyo for two days, confirming Seoul’s backing of the trilateral military cooperation between the US, South Korea, and Japan. This pledge represents Seoul’s support of a network of alliances that the US has consistently developed in the region. This was further evidenced by a freshly inked trade agreement just before Cho’s US visit.
President Trump declared an agreement on tariffs between Seoul and Washington, which proposes a reduction in so-called ‘reciprocal’ tariffs and auto tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent. A key aspect of the agreement relates to bolstering cooperation on shipbuilding, manifesting in a mission dubbed ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again’. According to the South Korean Finance Minister, the agreement on shipbuilding served as a critical breakthrough point in the trade negotiations.
The particular trade deal includes a sizable package of $150 billion, under which Seoul commits to assisting the US in constructing new vessels and shipyards. Furthermore, Seoul will participate in the training of personnel and will handle the maintenance and potential revamp of US naval vessels. The augmentation of American ship-building capacities is stressed by Trump as being vital in the preparation for potential confrontations with China.
This strategic aim forms the backbone of the instituted US tariffs and trade war measures. Trump is leveraging these tactics to economically isolate Beijing while ensuring alignment from partners like South Korea in relation to Washington’s geopolitical objectives. Although the Lee Jae-myung administration maintains a seemingly lenient stance towards China, the eagerness of Seoul’s alignment with US plans should not be underestimated.
In a media interaction, Cho expressed his government’s stand, expressing a firm message to China about maintaining good relations and advocating adherence to international law in bilateral and regional activities. Echoing this stand, Cho and Rubio emphasized during their meeting, as stated by the US State Department, that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were indispensable to international security and prosperity.
They further pointed out that the military cooperation involving the US, South Korea, and Japan played a crucial role in creating deterrence and resilience against regional security threats. Here, the US uses Taiwan as a focal point to accuse Beijing of causing regional instability. The calculated attempts by the US at undermining the One China policy – a cornerstone in its relations with Beijing – is perceived as an attempt to provoke China into attacking Taiwan.
While Taipei has its own plans for military expansion, the US subtly recognizes Beijing as the official government of all China, including Taiwan, despite ceasing diplomatic relations with Taipei. Responding to the growing tension, the US Defense Secretary warned at the Shangri-La Dialogue in May that a conflict with China over Taiwan appeared ‘imminent’ and urged US allies and partners to introduce dramatic increases in military spending as well as readiness.
The recent visit of South Korea’s Cho to Washington underlines that under the leadership of Lee Jae-myung, South Korea indeed stands resolute in its commitment to concurrently wage and align towards the ambitions of the US in the face of rising tensions.
The post South Korean Foreign Minister Reaffirms Commitment to US Amid China Tensions appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
