China News Service, October 1 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) Taking attending the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the first stop, US Vice President Harris recently launched his second "Asia trip" in office.
This is Harris' first visit to Japan and South Korea during his tenure, and he mainly discussed economic and security issues with the leaders of the two countries.
However, the outside world has noticed that Harris's visit is quite mysterious, and he frequently focuses on some sensitive topics that can easily arouse the vigilance of countries in the region.
This American "Number Two", "What kind of medicine is sold in the gourd"?
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Vice President Harris.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting
Moving out of Taiwan
Strengthen the role of "bridgehead" in containing China
Although the vice president is a virtual post, Harris's visit has indeed a lot of tasks.
As soon as he arrived in Tokyo on the 26th, Harris talked with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida about several "important matters", including cooperation for the realization of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and strengthening the deterrence of the Japan-US alliance to deal with China. "Exchange of views" on Taiwan issue.
Harris promised that the United States' responsibility for Japan's defense has not wavered, and that if Japan is "threatened", the United States is "ready to stand up with Japan."
She then visited the Yokosuka Naval Base, where she spoke to the U.S. military stationed in Japan, again agitating against China.
Regarding Harris' initiative to provoke confrontation, Chen Yang, a visiting researcher at the Japan Research Center of Liaoning University, pointed out to a reporter from Chinanews.com that in the context of positioning China as the "most important strategic competitor", the United States needs to be at the "front line". Allies, Japan, give full play to the role of a "bridgehead" to contain China.
This determines that the United States has paid more and more attention to the US-Japan alliance in recent years.
Data map: The United States and Japan held joint military exercises to practice landing operations.
Moreover, the Japanese government does not simply implement the strategic decision of the United States, but can independently and actively cooperate with its strategic deployment, such as implementing the concept of a "free and open Indo-Pacific", and attracting Southeast Asian and South Pacific island countries to contain China. It is unmatched by other US allies.
Chen Yang pointed out that Harris and others moved out of the Taiwan issue for two purposes:
First, the United States is trying to build a wedge between China and Japan by discussing the Taiwan issue together with Japan.
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. A number of activities will be held between China and Japan, laying a foundation for improving bilateral relations in the future.
Harris intends to show China that "the United States and Japan attach importance to the stability of the Taiwan Strait", trying to block the improvement process of Sino-Japanese relations.
Second, China's military exercises around Taiwan in August sparked protests from Japan.
During Harris' visit to Japan this time, he emphasized "the stability of the Taiwan Strait", but also to appease Japan, emphasizing that the United States will not sit idly by when Japan is "threatened".
Data map: "Harpoon" missile.
According to foreign media reports, the missile is on the list of US arms sales to Taiwan.
Lomanov, deputy director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, observed that the United States and the West are exerting various pressures on mainland China by launching military exercises, passing warships through the Taiwan Strait, and selling arms to Taiwan.
In order to keep hollowing out the "One China" principle, the United States needs strong propaganda and public opinion support to encourage Japan to confront China and hope that Sino-Japanese relations will deteriorate - this is what the US Vice President is doing now, Lomanov pointed out sharply.
However, Japanese people of insight did not follow the pace of the United States.
According to Kyodo News, with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said on the 28th that Japan's "relationship with China will be cut and cut", and he called on China and Japan to countries resolve their differences through dialogue to build a "peaceful and stable East Asia".
Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama also emphasized: "The friendly relationship between Japan and China is the cornerstone of peace in Asia. It is absolutely necessary for Japan to restore normal relations."
"pulling business" for chips
Competing with China
In addition to reciting "alliance", Harris will also "pull business" on this trip.
In the past few days, she has held meetings with executives of Japanese and Korean semiconductor companies such as Tokyo Electronics, Fujitsu, Nikon, Samsung, and Hynix, and vigorously promoted the "Chip and Science Act" signed by US President Biden in August, and lobbied companies from the two countries to invest in the United States. Build a factory.
In the fact list released by the White House, it is directly pointed out that the "Chip and Science Act" is to "confront China".
Image source: Screenshot of the White House official website
The Biden administration's "Chip and Science Act" will provide about $52.7 billion in financial subsidies and preferential policies to attract chip industries from various countries to the United States.
However, it is worth noting that once they accept US subsidies and concessions, these companies will be restricted from investing in areas outside the US, such as China.
Chips are the key force leading a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Gong Ting, an associate researcher at the American Institute of the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out to a reporter from Chinanews.com that although the United States still leads the world in the field of chips, since the 1990s, it has The country's chip manufacturing is gradually outsourced to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and other regions.
After the Biden administration conducted a supply chain review, it believed that U.S. chip manufacturing is becoming more and more "dependent" on East Asia. At the same time, with the improvement of China's semiconductor research and development capabilities in recent years, the domestic semiconductor industry in the United States is facing increasing competition.
Therefore, the United States tried to adopt a "friend-ship outsourcing" approach in the chip supply chain to promote the return of semiconductor R&D and manufacturing in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan to the United States, in order to build the so-called "chip quadrilateral alliance".
Data map: Texas Instruments, an American company, displays analog and embedded chip products.
Photo by Zhang Hengwei
Chen Yang, for example, said that in the 1980s, Japan was a leader in the global chip industry, with an international market share of over 50%. A field is stagnant.
Now, the United States is suppressing China for the same purpose.
Chen Yang believes that if the United States cannot maintain its dominant position in the field of chips, it will mean that it will likely not be able to maintain its advantages in weapons, technology products and other fields in the future.
The reason why the United States attaches great importance to chips is also to ensure an invincible position in the future.
Gong Ting pointed out that in addition to forcing relevant companies to "choose one" between the US subsidies and the Chinese market, the US is also trying to join forces with Japan and South Korea to strengthen export controls in the field of chips to China.
Its main purpose is to try to strengthen its own control over the high-end innovation elements of the chip industry, engage in "decoupling", and further delay or even curb the development of China's chip industry.
Promoting the resurgence of the "Cold War mentality"
This visit is difficult
In order to make arrangements on issues such as Taiwan and chips, Harris has been busy.
In addition, she met South Korean President Yun Xiyue on the 29th. What South Korea is most looking forward to is to talk about the discriminatory treatment of Korean-made electric vehicles in the US "Inflation Reduction Act".
On September 20, local time, South Korean President Yoon Sek-yue delivered a speech at the 77th United Nations General Assembly.
The "Han Nation Daily" pointed out that during the UN General Assembly, Yin Xiyue and Biden should have discussed and resolved the impact of the "Inflation Reduction Act" on South Korea and other issues in New York, but the meeting between the two ended hastily, as short as 48 seconds, the content of the meeting published by the White House It is also completely different from what the South Korean presidential office had previously expected. The issue that the South Korean side is most concerned about is not mentioned.
Both Japanese and Korean media have paid attention to the exposure of Yin Xiyue's controversial speech during the UN General Assembly, as well as the continued indifference of Japan-South Korea relations, which may be factors hindering the formation of the "Quartet Alliance of Chips".
"Nihon Keizai Shimbun" Chinese website analysis, the United States is trying to pull South Korea into the new semiconductor supply chain framework, seeking to "exclude China, which has accelerated its mastery of semiconductor technology, from the supply chain".
From the perspective of South Korea, exports to China account for 60% of its "main cash cow" semiconductor exports, and Samsung Electronics also has semiconductor factories in China.
The current situation is that the United States will force South Korea, which had previously considered China and the United States and maintained balanced diplomacy, to choose a side.
This has made the South Korean government and companies "deepened day by day", "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" pointed out.
Data map: South Korea's Samsung displayed TV chip technology at the 4th China International Import Expo.
Photo by Zhang Hengwei
Chen Yang pointed out that South Korea is currently reluctant to the "chip quadrilateral alliance". On the one hand, South Korea is particularly dependent on China in the economic and trade field, and does not want to damage its relations with China; on the other hand, South Korea has limited land and comprehensive national strength. It is difficult to resist the hegemony of the United States.
South Korea is also worried that once it strengthens cooperation with the United States, it may be forced to take its cutting-edge technology away by the United States, thereby losing its competitiveness.
Gong Ting also pointed out that the essence of the US approach is "America First" rather than taking into account the interests of its allies.
The United States seems to provide a lot of subsidies, but the cost of building a new chip factory in the United States is high, which does not conform to economic laws and does not reflect the priority of efficiency. It may also set off a "subsidy competition" or even a "capacity competition" among chip companies.
All these will hurt the interests of chip companies in South Korea, Japan and other countries.
The United States has allowed chip companies to choose sides, and has previously forced companies to hand over commercial confidential data, which is essentially bullying.
Overall, Chen Yang concluded that the purpose of Harris' trip to Asia was difficult to achieve.
At present, Asian countries generally pursue peace and development rather than conflict.
If Harris insists on promoting the resurgence of the Cold War mentality in the Asia-Pacific region and incites conflict and confrontation, it is doomed to be a fruitless trip to Asia.
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