Coalition against Beijing: how Washington intends to strengthen relations with Tokyo and Seoul to solve the "China problem"

On Monday, March 15, the first overseas tour of the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken began.

They will visit Tokyo first and then Seoul.

This is stated in the message of the American State Department. 

“This week, we will travel with the Minister of Defense to Japan and South Korea to reaffirm our commitment to our shared goals and commitments.

Our alliances make us stronger and are essential to our interests and values, ”the US Secretary of State wrote on his Twitter page.

. @ SecDef and I are visiting Japan and South Korea this week to recommit to our shared goals and responsibilities.

Our alliances are force multipliers and vital to our interest and our values.https: //t.co/9LXBwPvlQM

- Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 15, 2021

As Blinken clarified, in Tokyo and Seoul, the American authorities will discuss how the United States can strengthen "cooperation with the two closest allies in the Indian-Pacific region and around the world."

The secretary of state also said that diplomacy "is once again given a central place in American foreign policy."

Austin, in turn, emphasized in a post about his tour that he considers China a "serious threat" to the United States.

“It is imperative that we tackle the Chinese problem together with partners in the India-Pacific region,” he said on his Twitter.

In addition, ahead of Austin and Blinken's trip, the United States Department of State issued a document reiterating the thesis of an "unbreakable US-Japan alliance" and that "a strong and effective trilateral relationship" between the US, South Korea, and Japan is critical. to “ensure the rule of law in the Indian-Pacific region and the rest of the world”.

The message also emphasizes that Washington and Tokyo are "determined to work together to overcome common challenges" and are committed to "countering the harmful influence and provocative actions of the PRC in Asia and around the world."

The State Department said that "the US commitment to protecting Japan is unshakable."

The American side continues to oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the South China Sea.

Japan has 55,000 US troops and "many of the most effective and advanced American weapons," including the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and F-35 fighters, the State Department said.

“This indicates that we attach great importance to the US-Japan alliance and that our goal is to maintain peace and security in the Indian-Pacific region through effective containment and cooperation with regional partners,” the US Foreign Office said.

Chinese factor

Meanwhile, ahead of the Asian tour

The Washington Post published an article by Austin and Blinken about the importance of strengthening allies with Japan and South Korea, due to the "Chinese threat".

“In the region and beyond, they know that China, in particular, does not hesitate to use coercion to achieve its goals.

This confirms the importance of working with allies.

Together we will be able to give a more serious rebuff to the aggression and threats from China, ”the article emphasizes.

Lloyd and Blinken point out that together, the three countries "will hold China accountable."

"If we do not take decisive leadership, then Beijing will do it," said an article by US officials.

• US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken

• Twitter

• © SecBlinken

Recall that the "challenge emanating from China" was also discussed during the four-way dialogue on the security of the leaders of the United States, India, Australia and Japan on March 12.

This was announced by the Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Jake Sullivan.

According to him, the heads of state "made it clear that none of them harbor illusions" about the PRC.

At the same time, Sullivan stressed that Washington intends to "prevail" in a "tough rivalry" with Beijing.

On the same day, the United States published a list of Chinese firms that allegedly threaten national security.

Among them were Huawei Technologies Co., ZTE Corp, Hytera Communications Corp., Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co.

and Dahua Technology Co.

Earlier, on March 3, the White House released its interim strategic guidance on national security, which notes that "China's assertiveness has skyrocketed."

"It is the only competitor that can potentially combine its economic, diplomatic, military and technological forces to challenge a stable and open international system in the long term," the document says.

The guide also notes that, together with its allies and partners, the United States can “modernize the architecture of international cooperation” and thus bring it in line with the challenges of the 21st century.

Earlier at the Munich conference, US President Joe Biden called on the international community to "prepare together for a long-term strategic rivalry with China."

“We need to resist the economic abuse and coercion that the Chinese government is using to undermine the foundations of the international economic system.

Everyone - absolutely everyone - must follow the same rules, ”he stressed.

On February 10, during a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden said he was concerned about "Beijing's coercive and unfair practices in the economy."

Prior to this, Secretary of State Blinken said that the United States intends to "hold China accountable for actions that threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific."

"Rely on allies as much as possible"

As Valery Garbuzov, director of the Institute of the United States and Canada, noted in an interview with RT, the latest steps by the American side clearly indicate that Washington intends to "resist China by all means," including through the formation of the so-called anti-Chinese coalition in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Washington needs this to gain a foothold in this part of the planet and advance its strategy of containing China.

It lies in the fact that the PRC is the main and most powerful competitor, which must be opposed.

At the same time, containment does not mean absolute isolation of the republic.

It should combine both pressure instruments and elements of interaction, for example, in the economy and trade, but only in those niches where it is beneficial for the United States, ”the analyst said.

According to Garbuzov, the United States wants to unite even more with Japan and South Korea, as well as attract as many states in the region as possible to counter the PRC.

• US military in Japan

• Reuters

• © Toru Hanai

“Sounding in this regard will be carried out by the American side in the future.

It is not for nothing that Washington recently participated at the highest level in a four-sided summit on security, which was attended by the leaders of India, Australia and Japan.

As you know, the Chinese question was also discussed there.

At the same time, Washington still relies on Tokyo and Seoul, ”the expert said.

Garbuzov recalled that it is on the territory of Japan and South Korea that most of the American contingent is deployed in the region.

“This is an additional factor influencing Washington's desire to actively move closer to Tokyo and Seoul, which have become an important geopolitical pillar of the United States.

Now the main task of the United States is to rely as much as possible on allies whose loyalty is not in question, ”he said.

As noted, in turn, by the expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Research Vladimir Bruter, the first foreign tour of Austin and Blinken shows that for the United States "the Chinese direction" is extremely important.

“Japan and South Korea are China's closest neighbors.

In addition, they are political allies of the United States.

Therefore, increasing cooperation with these countries will be given special importance in containing the PRC, "the analyst said in a commentary on RT.

According to Garbuzov, the upcoming meeting of Blinken and Austin with the leaderships of Japan and South Korea is intended to show what reserves the three countries still have to counter China.

“Also during these negotiations, the question of what mechanisms can be used to more effectively contain the Chinese republic will be decided.

We can talk about toughening Japanese and South Korean legislation regulating contacts with China, including trade, ”he said.

However, some difficulty for the United States lies in the fact that Japan and South Korea already have established ties with China, Garbuzov noted.

“These countries, despite their loyalty to the American side, realize that the anti-China game with Washington can harm them,” the analyst said.

In addition, the United States itself may “seriously suffer as a result of a tough confrontation with the PRC,” Garbuzov predicted.

“The economies of the two countries are intertwined, before the United States invested heavily in Chinese business.

Now all this can turn against the American side, ”the expert said.

As Garbuzov summed up, the United States views the Asia-Pacific region "as a sphere of its influence and vital interests."

“The US strategy envisions expanding its dominance in this part of the planet.

Now the stake on this region is greater than it was before, in view of the intensified confrontation with the PRC, ”the analyst noted.

Bruter believes that in the future, Washington will be engaged in the deployment of new weapons systems in Japan and South Korea and conduct more intensive maneuvers.

"The idea of ​​deploying intermediate and shorter-range missiles in Southeast Asia has not gone off the White House agenda after the change of administration," the analyst concluded.