US, China push South Korea into tricky balancing act
Posted : 2021-04-04 17:01
Updated : 2021-04-04 20:45
South Korea s National Security Adviser Suh Hoon, right, talks with his counterparts Jake Sullivan of the U.S., center, and Shigeru Kitamura of Japan during their meeting at the United States Naval Academy in Maryland, Friday (local time). Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Seoul, Beijing agree on two-plus-two meeting soon
By Nam Hyun-woo
South Korea finds itself stuck in between the United States and China, with the two superpowers striving to tip the balance of Seoul s diplomacy in their own favor at two high-profile meetings in Annapolis and Xiamen over the weekend.
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SEOUL (Reuters) - For the first time in years there are liberal presidents in South Korea and the United States, but the change in U.S. administrations hasn’t made it any easier for Seoul to balance its alliance with Washington and its economic reliance on China.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attend the 2+2 Meeting at Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool/File Photo
China has dominated the agenda of an Asia tour by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for talks, casting its shadow even over core issues like the North Korea nuclear threat and strengthening the alliance.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet with Japanese and South Korean counterparts to confirm U.S. security commitments to its allies and coordinate policies toward the North Korean and Chinese threats. Tokyo and Seoul perceive the first overseas trip by Biden cabinet members and the rapid resolution of military cost-sharing negotiations as signaling strong U.S. support for the alliances and prioritization of the Indo–Pacific region.
The positive public messaging, however, will mask some policy differences behind the scenes. The U.S. and Japan largely agree on the need to confront growing Chinese maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas, as well as the increasing North Korean nuclear and missile threats. South Korea, however, is resistant to criticizing Beijing or joining coalitions seen as containing China. Seoul advocates additional incentives to encourage North Korea to return to denuclearization negotiat
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