The Trump administration's decision to substantially reduce tariffs on Chinese imports marks a shift in what started out not as coherent trade policy but as macho bluster. That macho bluster became all but weak and sterile with China, but is still biting and bullying with South Korea.
Significance. Bilateral relations between South Korea and China remain one of East Asia’s most consequential yet misunderstood strategic dynamics.
Maybe it’s my 1990s Australian teenage years of wagging* school and watching corny American television repeats, but I often listen in on conversations between academic, political, and/or government colleagues and get bored, so I return to form and act as a tabloid talk show host. I become a foreign policy Jerry Springer, throwing out difficult topics, inciting anger, and provoking responses.
Significance. South Korea’s lack of discussion on a Taiwan conflict leaves its leadership and public unprepared. As a key U.S. ally and regional player, South Korea will face pressure to take a position.
The proposed trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea on 22 March in Tokyo represents a notable step in regional diplomacy.
Dominant states never reinvent diplomacy, they just adapt it to secure their interests - and most states are already adapting to China.
If there’s one thing South Korea has been able to count on (or not shake off) for decades, it’s the United States. The alliance between the two countries weathered wars, economic crises, and the perpetual threat posed by North Korea.
Senior Officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan will meet for trilateral talks to discuss how to boost the partnership.
