Think Tank Report: Japan is the Best to Mobilize Against China, South Korea Is Not Obedient

It is well known to everyone that the U.S. government's intention to build an "encirclement circle against China" by rallying allies such as Japan and South Korea.

However, according to a report released on October 3 by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), although the U.S. strategy of competition with China relies on allies, not all allies can play the same role. For example, among Asian allies, Japan plays the most significant role, while South Korea is "unwilling to contain China" and instead brings "a heavy military burden and risk" to the United States.

In addition, Australia can make some contributions, but the scale is relatively limited. The major European allies such as France, Germany, and the UK have limited military roles in the Indo-Pacific region, but they can support important technological, diplomatic, and political goals in the U.S. strategy against China. Although the Philippines has superior military geographical conditions, it does not bring obvious benefits in other aspects, and there is a risk of involving the United States in conflicts in the South China Sea.

The report titled "Legacy or Burden? Assessing the Role of U.S. Allies in the Competition with China" states that Japan is an important strategic asset for the United States, not only because of its wide range of cooperation, but also because the risk of conflict with China is extremely low. In contrast, South Korea brings a heavy military burden to the United States, especially because the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea are mainly limited to defending North Korea, and the risk of getting involved in conflicts is high.

Chris Chevys, a senior researcher at Carnegie and the main author of the report, told Nikkei Asia that through this report, people can clearly understand the relative importance of these allies in the U.S. strategy against China.

The report was released as the Trump administration was about to release the "Defense Strategy" and "Global Posture Review," which will determine the U.S. military priorities and global troop deployments.

The Trump administration's alliance policy is completely different from that of former President Biden. However, the report points out that "allies are not naturally beneficial as Biden believes, nor are they naturally problematic as Trump often claims."

The authors of the report stated, "Allies may significantly enhance a country's political, military, and economic strength, or drag it into unnecessary wars, create security dilemmas, and consume resources."

The report evaluated seven key U.S. allies (Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, France, Germany, and the UK) and scored each ally on three dimensions: strategic contribution, willingness to cooperate, and the risk of involvement in conflicts.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845480164618249/

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