In the context of the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after concluding a whirlwind visit to the Middle East, has shifted his focus to Asia, embarking on visits to Japan, South Korea, and India.
On November 9, Blinken concluded his visit to South Korea and headed to India, marking his first visit to South Korea since President Yoon Suk-yeol took office. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is also set to arrive in India to join Blinken for the "2+2 dialogue" with their Indian counterparts.
Following this, Austin will visit South Korea and Indonesia, attending the U.S.-South Korea Security Meeting in South Korea and then the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus in Indonesia.
From the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Japan, Blinken and other U.S. officials have consistently emphasized that despite the coexistence of the Israeli-Palestinian and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, the so-called "Indo-Pacific region" remains a focal point for the United States.
Blinken began his two-day visit to South Korea on November 8, following the conclusion of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Japan. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance and is Blinken's first visit to South Korea in nearly two and a half years.
During his visit to South Korea, Blinken held talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and National Security Office Director Suh Hoon and also had a lunch meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol. Discussions focused on the U.S. attention to the Asia-Pacific region, consolidating the outcomes of the Camp David summit, and the North Korean issue.
President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed strong allegiance to the U.S. during the lunch meeting. According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon highlighted the increased significance of U.S. leadership amid the compounded challenges of the North Korean nuclear issue, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and instability in the Middle East.
Yoon stated that as an ally of the U.S., South Korea is eager to maintain close cooperation with the U.S. to uphold core values and strengthen a rules-based international order. Blinken, in turn, emphasized that the Indo-Pacific region is a priority in U.S. foreign policy, with South Korea being a key partner in the region. The U.S. is keen to deepen its alliance and strategic partnership with South Korea.
During his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, Blinken mentioned that the U.S. looks forward to further deepening its partnership with South Korea during the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco.
In an interview with Japanese media, Blinken had already stressed the U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific region. He stated that the U.S. is capable of handling multiple security challenges simultaneously with its allies, including crises in the Middle East.
While addressing other security challenges, the U.S. will ensure its focus remains on "one of our most important core interests, which is the Indo-Pacific region." Just before Blinken's Asia tour, U.S. officials clarified that his visit aims to support a "free and open Indo-Pacific region."
At the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Japan, which Blinken attended, the meeting's statement specifically mentioned China. The statement expressed readiness to establish a "constructive and stable relationship" with China, acknowledging the need for cooperation in areas of mutual interest and global challenges.
The G7 clarified that its policy is not aimed at "harming China," nor does it seek decoupling or to hinder China's economic progress and development.
However, the statement also mentioned "de-risking" and protecting advanced technologies of various countries, accusing China's "non-market" practices of "distorting the global economy" and posing challenges. The statement further touched on issues in China's Xinjiang and Tibet, the South China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin firmly rejected the G7's unreasonable accusations about China distorting the global economy and engaging in economic coercion during a regular press conference on Friday.
Wang pointed out that it is precisely several G7 member countries that have listed over 10,000 entities and individuals on sanctions lists, using state power to comprehensively suppress specific companies, politicizing and weaponizing trade and economic issues, and impacting the stability of international production and supply chains.
Wang also stated that China firmly opposes the G7's wrongful acts of damaging China's sovereignty and interfering in China's internal affairs. He urged the G7 to adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations, manage their own affairs well, and stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext or name.
For the U.S., ensuring cooperation with key Indo-Pacific allies Japan and South Korea is crucial for implementing its Indo-Pacific policy.
At the Camp David summit in August this year, the three countries signed a joint statement, planning annual joint military exercises, high-level talks, and sharing intelligence on North Korean missile threats to institutionalize trilateral security cooperation.
The three countries also agreed to establish a supply chain early warning system, sharing information and coordinating actions on potential disruptions in critical technology supply chains. During his visit to South Korea, Blinken specifically mentioned the Camp David summit, stating that the three countries will continue to strengthen cooperation to implement the agreements reached at the summit.
After concluding his visit to South Korea, U.S. Defense Secretary Austin will hold trilateral talks with the defense ministers of Japan and South Korea to discuss establishing a real-time shared system for North Korean missile launch warnings.
Since President Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party took office, the South Korean government has made concessions to Japan on issues such as labor compensation and nuclear wastewater discharge to align with the U.S., warming government relations between South Korea and Japan but sparking strong dissatisfaction among South Korean civilians and the opposition party. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the largest party in the parliament, once went on a hunger strike in protest.
Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating has also been declining, falling to 32% last month, a new low since he took office in May last year. A recent Gallup poll released on Friday showed Yoon's approval rating rebounding to 36%, with a disapproval rating of 55%. Economic livelihood, poor price control, autocratic behavior, and weak diplomacy are the main reasons for the negative ratings among South Korean voters.
On the North Korean issue, during his visit to South Korea, Blinken openly accused Russia of providing military technology to North Korea and North Korea of supplying military equipment to Russia to support its actions in Ukraine. He also called on China to exert its influence to "restrain" North Korea's weapons program.
In response to Blinken's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated at a press conference on Friday that he was not aware of the cooperation between North Korea and Russia as mentioned.
Wang said that North Korea and Russia are both sovereign countries and friendly neighbors of China. China has always been committed to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and promoting dialogue and resolution of the peninsula issue, hoping that the U.S. will do its part.
On Friday, Blinken arrived in India, joining U.S. Defense Secretary Austin to start their visit to India. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that India and the U.S. will discuss progress in defense security, technological value chain cooperation, and civil exchanges, and further promote bilateral cooperation.
Indian media described the "2+2" dialogue as preparation for U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to India next year, with the two sides also likely to discuss joint defense equipment development.
However, Indian officials revealed in an interview with Reuters that compared to the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China and the Indo-Pacific region will be the "key focus" of the discussions.
