【Wen / Observers Daily, Liu Bai】During the Chinese Spring Festival holiday, the U.S. military in East Asia has been making small moves continuously, and its efforts to contain China have raised high vigilance from South Korea.

According to a report by the Korean Chosun Ilbo on February 21, due to the South Korean government's refusal to participate in the U.S.-proposed trilateral air exercises between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, the U.S. and Japan conducted joint exercises separately in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea on the 16th and 18th. It is reported that after this, South Korea also lodged a protest with the U.S. regarding the confrontation between Chinese and American fighter jets. Although the South Korean Ministry of Defense later denied the claim of refusing to participate in the exercise, the differences between the U.S. and South Korea on issues related to China have become increasingly evident.

The report mentions that four U.S. B-52 strategic bombers participated in this exercise. The B-52s, which took off from Guam, trained in the East China Sea area south of Jeju Island and towards Taiwan on the 18th, and then moved northward, entering the Yellow Sea airspace.

On the 20th, the Chosun Ilbo learned that the South Korean military had also received an invitation from the U.S. to participate, but the South Korean side refused, so the nature of the exercise changed from a trilateral exercise involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan to a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Japan.

After the news spread, the South Korean Ministry of Defense stated, "The statement that the government refused the exercise is not true." After the U.S. proposed the trilateral exercise involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, the South Korean side requested a schedule adjustment, but the U.S. did not accept it. The South Korean Ministry of Defense tried to emphasize that "the South Korean-U.S. alliance and South Korean-U.S.-Japan security cooperation are being maintained firmly."

U.S. B-52 bomber flying in formation with Japan's Air Self-Defense Force F-15

The Japanese Joint Staff Headquarters confirmed on the 19th that the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military conducted joint exercises. In this exercise, four U.S. B-52 strategic bombers, six Japanese F-2 aircraft, and five F-15 aircraft conducted various tactical training in the Sea of Japan and East China Sea on the 16th and 18th.

It is widely believed that the inclusion of areas such as the East China Sea region south of Jeju Island to the northern end of Taiwan in the exercise area clearly indicates the intent to target China.

In particular, the wording in the Japanese statement, "We will never allow changing the status quo by force," is a common expression used by the U.S. and Japan when intervening in issues related to the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.

Following this, U.S. forces stationed in South Korea also conducted separate exercises in the Yellow Sea from the 18th to the 19th, with more than 10 F-16 fighter jets taking off over 100 times in two days, a scale unprecedented before.

Analysis suggests that within the first island chain formed by the Japanese archipelago, Taiwan Island, and the Philippines, U.S. strategic assets, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and U.S. forces stationed in South Korea have almost simultaneously deployed their aircraft, which is a rare situation. The Trump administration's 2022 "National Security Strategy" explicitly stated the intention to contain China within the first island chain.

Although the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea conducted the exercise in a separate form, the timing of the exercise coincided with the day when the B-52 participating in the U.S.-Japan joint exercise entered the Yellow Sea, and the outside analysis suggests that this move also had the intention to escort the B-52.

As the Chinese side urgently dispatched fighter jets to respond to the U.S. exercise, American and Chinese fighter jets engaged in a standoff in the Yellow Sea on the 18th.

On the 20th, the Global Times reported from a source that recently, the U.S. organized military aircraft to conduct activities in the airspace in front of China's position. The People's Liberation Army lawfully organized naval and air forces to monitor and guard throughout the process, effectively responding to the situation.

F-16 fighter jets taking off from the Osan base of the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea

Korean media disclosed that the South Korean military, which had previously refused the U.S. proposal for a trilateral exercise between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, expressed dissatisfaction with the U.S. following the confrontation between Chinese and American fighter jets. South Korean Defense Minister An Gwi-bok and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jeon Young-sung separately called U.S. General Xavier Brunson, the commander of the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea, to express their protest.

Some analysts pointed out that the U.S. attempt to shift the role of the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea from "deterrence against North Korea" to "containing China" conflicts with the South Korean government's concerns about being drawn into the Sino-U.S. conflict, and these differences have surfaced.

Last year, the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea relocated F-16 fighters from the Gunsan base to the Osan base, forming a "super squadron" consisting of two squadrons with more than 60 F-16s. From that time, there were observations that it was intended for "containing China." This exercise made this nature more explicit, causing pressure on the South Korean government.

Park Won-gyun, a professor at Ewha Womans University, said that the U.S. would interpret South Korea's actions as a signal indicating "unwillingness to fulfill its responsibilities as a U.S. partner." "If South Korea neither participates in joint exercises with the U.S. military nor continues to protest against the U.S. military's separate exercises, from the perspective of the U.S. military, the reason for stationing troops on the Korean Peninsula will become less and less."

Last month, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy, Colby, who visited South Korea, stated that the U.S. defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific focuses on implementing deterrence within the first island chain, and the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea will also assume a related role. Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized at last month's New Year press conference about the U.S. tariff threats, stating "strategic autonomy," saying, "In the alliance, we cannot be dragged in, nor can we be left unchecked."

China has repeatedly emphasized its firm opposition to manipulating "group politics," firmly opposing any actions that provoke and escalate tensions, undermining another country's strategic security and interests, and opposing the creation of closed, exclusive "small circles" in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. should put into practice its statement of not seeking to strengthen alliances against China, and should not pursue private interests at the expense of another country's strategic security interests and the well-being of the people in the Asia-Pacific region.

The South Korean government hopes to reduce South Korean-U.S. joint exercises in order to create an atmosphere for dialogue between South Korea and North Korea. This wish may also be one of the roots of the policy conflict between the U.S. and South Korea.

After President Yoon Suk-yeol chaired an emergency meeting of the security chiefs on the 13th, the South Korean side discussed measures to resume the September 19 Military Agreement and adjust exercises to ease tensions between South Korea and North Korea. Currently, the South Korean military is discussing this issue with the U.S.

This article is an exclusive article from Observers Daily. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7609534565438325263/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.