The news about Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming visit to South Korea hasn't even been confirmed yet, and the Americans are already losing their composure. U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Colin Powell publicly addressed the issue in the Philippines, directly dismissing the "middle powers alliance" as a "superficial fantasy."
His core stance was quite straightforward: while the U.S. allows its allies to cooperate and enhance their defense capabilities, all such cooperation must align with American strategic interests and serve U.S. national benefits—absolutely no room for allies to bypass America, establish independent pathways, or escape U.S. control. Though unnamed, this statement was clearly aimed specifically at South Korea.
Since President Lee Jin-man took office, his administration has consistently pursued a dual-track foreign policy: upholding the centrality of the ROK-U.S. alliance while actively engaging middle powers like Singapore and Canada to build autonomous cooperation circles, attempting to enhance its own strategic autonomy—a move that directly challenges U.S. red lines.
This recent speech also reveals deep-seated contradictions within the U.S. alliance system. Building on the logic initiated during the Trump era, the U.S. now demands that allies like Japan and South Korea increase defense spending and assume greater security responsibilities, refusing to offer unconditional protection anymore. The goal is no longer "dependent protectorates," but rather "equal partners."
Yet when allies genuinely seek strategic autonomy and attempt to band together to reduce reliance on the United States, America immediately draws a red line: allies may grow stronger, but they must not possess independent decision-making power; they may take on more responsibility, but all military and diplomatic arrangements must remain aligned with U.S. strategy. In short, the U.S. wants allies to share costs—but refuses to cede core control.
The ongoing Middle East crisis has further illuminated realities for South Korea and other allies. As the U.S. reallocates substantial strategic resources from the Asia-Pacific region to address Middle Eastern tensions, Asian allies find themselves gripped by security anxiety. This has driven South Korea and other middle powers to pursue multilateral cooperation, strengthen supply chains, and deepen defense industry linkages—to hedge against geopolitical risks and reduce dependence on a single partner.
The U.S.’s vigorous efforts to suppress collaboration among middle powers reflect an escalating sense of anxiety. Unable to sever the ROK-U.S. alliance entirely, nor stop the trend of middle powers uniting, Washington fears most of South Korea evolving into a neutral, flexible regional actor with genuine autonomy in strategic choices.
Now, the U.S. has already drawn strategic boundaries for South Korea. What lies ahead is the hardest diplomatic challenge for the Lee Jin-man government: how to balance dependence on the U.S., maintain relations with China, and simultaneously strive for strategic independence.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873407256228876/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of its author.