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Blinken, Austin to visit Japan, South Korea this month

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So Biden kept the Trump sanctions on China and is trying to mount a coordinated effort to contain China.

Trump supporters told me Biden was a Chinese agent. Could they have been wrong?

0 ( +8 / -8 )

Japanese should resent being controlled by a clearly inferior country, the USA.

-21 ( +2 / -23 )

Dear Mr Blinken and Mr Austin,

Will you bring up the fact to South Korea that they are Not part of Quad alliance and have refused to do so?? Important if you want to balance China.

Will you bring up the 2015 comfort women deal which the Korean went back on in 2017 under Moon administration?? Biden and Obama supported the deal.

Will you hold S. Korea responsible for breaking the 3 way alliance between Japan, USA and South Korea because of historical issue which the Korean refuses to move on from?? We signed agreement, compensation paid. 55 apologies on top.

Will S. Korea ever be hold accountable for stealing Takeshima from Japan?

I want to know when will South Korea be hold accountable for it's actions, land grab, breaking agreements and promises made on multiple occasions! ! !

5 ( +15 / -10 )

Will you bring up the fact to South Korea that they are Not part of Quad alliance and have refused to do so?? Important if you want to balance China.

South Korea didn't refuse to join the Quad alliance. They expressed skepticism about it and that's about it. Don't distort facts.

Will you bring up the 2015 comfort women deal which the Korean went back on in 2017 under Moon administration?? Biden and Obama supported the deal.

To be frank, I doubt any American politician cares much about the comfort women situation. America's priority is containing China. Regardless of whether a CW deal exists or not, trade deals like the TPP can be formed to counter China's rising influence. The CW problem isn't really relevant to the China situation.

Will you hold S. Korea responsible for breaking the 3 way alliance between Japan, USA and South Korea because of historical issue which the Korean refuses to move on from?? We signed agreement, compensation paid. 55 apologies on top.

This is a North Korea problem, not a China problem.

Will S. Korea ever be hold accountable for stealing Takeshima from Japan?

Not a China problem. The US already decided to remain neutral on the issue.

I want to know when will South Korea be hold accountable for it's actions, land grab, breaking agreements and promises made on multiple occasions! ! !

Again, not China problems.

Excluding weird Japanophiles, we Americans don't care about your dispute with SK. China can be contained economically with or without the CW deal.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

WisePerson123Today  03:30 pm JST

South Korea didn't refuse to join the Quad alliance. They expressed skepticism about it and that's about it. Don't distort facts.

Good enough proof that they aren't on our team. The country that always lies to have it both ways.

7 ( +14 / -7 )

WisePerson123Today  03:30 pm JST

Excluding weird Japanophiles, we Americans don't care about your dispute with SK. China can be contained economically with or without the CW deal.l.

Please stop pretending to be American. The Obama adiminstration cared enough about the CW issue and the damage it was causing to the US-JPN-SK military alliance that it pressured President Park Geun-hye to conclude the "permanent and irreversible" 2015 CW Agreement with Japan. Which of course Pres Moon ripped up. So President Obama was a weird Japanophile? LOL

6 ( +13 / -7 )

Good enough proof that they aren't on our team. The country that always lies to have it both ways.

The Quad sounds more like bureaucratic non-sense than an actual plan to contain China. Guarantee you that nothing significant comes out of it. South Korea is right to be skeptical about it.

Please stop pretending to be American. The Obama adiminstration cared enough about the CW issue and the damage it was causing to the US-JPN-SK military alliance that it pressured President Park Geun-hye to conclude the "permanent and irreversible" 2015 CW Agreement with Japan. Which of course Pres Moon ripped up. So President Obama was a weird Japanophile? LOL

I think you're overstating the 'importance' of that deal. Americans will, of course, support that kind of deal just to foster harmony between allies, but its existence does not determine how we fight China economically.

A regional or international trade agreement between major economies that disadvantages China can be implemented, and I don't understand how the CW deal is related to a trade agreement. That's some pretty impressive mental gymnastics.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

@ReasonabdWisdomNippon

Will you bring up the fact to South Korea that they are Not part of Quad alliance and have refused to do so??

No.

Will you bring up the 2015 comfort women deal which the Korean went back on in 2017 under Moon administration??

No, Biden administration is already condemning Japan on comfort women issue.

Will you hold S. Korea responsible for breaking the 3 way alliance between Japan, USA and South Korea

No, there never was a 3 way alliance.

Will S. Korea ever be hold accountable for stealing Takeshima from Japan?

No, it was the US that put the Liancourt Rocks under KADIZ in 1950.

Anyhow, Japan faces difficult talks when Blinken and Austin arrive, because the US has announces the plan to deploy $28 billion worth of missiles on Okinawa, Taiwan, and the Philippines, ensuring a Chinese outrage against Japan.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/US-to-build-anti-China-missile-network-along-first-island-chain

US to build anti-China missile network along first island chain

An opportunity is likely to come during negotiations on host-nation support for fiscal 2022 onward. Missile deployment "could be discussed as we talk about the course of the Japan-U.S. alliance," a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

A decision by Japan to host American missiles would be certain to anger China, complicating diplomacy between the two economically intertwined neighbors. And Tokyo is likely to encounter local opposition around potential deployment sites, including in Okinawa, where around 70% of American forces in the country are concentrated.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

No, Biden administration is already condemning Japan on comfort women issue.

I'm skeptical Biden cares much for the issue regardless of what his public statements on the issue are. The US government virtue signals on any issue relating to human rights violation, much like how Biden mentions police brutality whenever there's a police incident here.

What I'm confused about are ReasonandWisdomNippon and OssanAmerica trying to bring up the CW issue and deal on an issue pertaining to China. Neither America nor China is going to launch military or naval strikes against each other, so their war will be an economic one. Trade deals, like the TPP, will be needed to contain China's economic influence. I do not understand what the CW situation has to do with trade agreements.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

@WisePerson123

I'm skeptical Biden cares much for the issue regardless of what his public statements on the issue are

Biden administration is back to Obama's position on comfort women; Japan is 100% wrong on comfort women, Japan must apologize. It was Trump administration that didn't care but Trump's gone now. So asking the US to help Japan to pressure Korea on comfort women is of no use; US will pressure Japan instead.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210219000800325

State Department says Japan's wartime sexual slavery an egregious violation of human rights

All News 08:13 February 19, 2021

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that Japan's trafficking of women for sexual services during World War II was a serious violation of human rights, flatly contradicting a controversial claim by a Harvard professor that such women were rather voluntary prostitutes.

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

@WisePerson123

I'm skeptical Biden cares much for the issue regardless of what his public statements on the issue are

Biden administration is back to Obama's position on comfort women; Japan is 100% wrong on comfort women, Japan must apologize. It was Trump administration that didn't care but Trump's gone now. So asking the US to help Japan to pressure Korea on comfort women is of no use; US will pressure Japan instead.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210219000800325

State Department says Japan's wartime sexual slavery an egregious violation of human rights

All News 08:13 February 19, 2021

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that Japan's trafficking of women for sexual services during World War II was a serious violation of human rights, flatly contradicting a controversial claim by a Harvard professor that such women were rather voluntary prostitutes.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

Biden administration is back to Obama's position on comfort women; Japan is 100% wrong on comfort women, Japan must apologize.

Yeah, I'm sure he just said whatever is the most politically correct thing, but this is a minor issue, if you can even call it that, for America.

China is the problem, not the spat between CW or Dokdo/Takeshima. Neither of these issues are relevant to measures the US can take to contain China. Japan and SK's historical issues can be fought or resolved in tandem with trade deals. I don't understand how they are relevant.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

To any Japanese person here, can you please explain to us how exactly the CW or Liancourt situations are related to economic measures to contain China? I noticed this pattern on every article about the US trying to mount a coordinated measure on China. The same people continue bringing up the CW or Liancourt problems.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Japan should definitely consider whatever proposal the Koreans put forth a replacement for the previous “final and irreversible” agreement the two countries negotiated in 2015.

Until the Koreans propose their alternative, their whining falls on deaf ears. The ball is in their court so what are they whining about?

3 ( +11 / -8 )

The ball is in their court so what are they whining about?

Another one that makes no sense. Can you please write a convincing argument why the CW situation is related to policies that will contain China? The CW problem is between Korea and Japan, not China.

Trade agreements with the goal to contain China can be ratified despite Korea and Japan disputing over other issues.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

@WisePerson123

The CW problem is between Korea and Japan, not China.

Actually CW problem is between Japan and all of its former Imperialistic victims, and include victims from Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, The Philippines, Burma, Netherlands, Australia, etc.

https://www.jiaponline.org/2014/08/dutch-comfort-women-and-consequences.html

Dutch Comfort Women and the Consequences

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/12/08/documents-prove-japan-forced-australian-women-to-be-wartime-sex-slaves/

Documents prove Japan forced Australian women to be wartime sex slaves

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that the relationship between Japan and South Korea has a tremendous bearing on the US ability to confront China. If North Korea were to attack South Korea, an act which could not happen without the support of China, the only way that the US could effectively protect South Korea is with the logistics provided by Japan, which houses the largest US military presence in Asia and serves as the gateway to regional operations. South Korea can not be protected from Guam.

South Korea's use of anti-Japan sentiment as a diplomatic and political tool is a thorn in the side of US strategic policy, as evidenced by the Moon administration's willingness to risk GSOMIA. It serves South Korean domestic politics, works in favor of North Korea and China, but works against the U.S. and Japan and all nations willing to stand up to China's unilasteral territorial expansion.

Unless South Korea changes it's policy, and I don't see it happening, the writing is on the wall that eventually South Korea will be be treated for what it is. The United States will have no reason to station troops in South Korea or defend it. It will be South Korea itself preventing the US ability to do so. This is not what the US or Japan would want, but it is South Korea itself heading in that direction. Korea has a long history of playing both sides for it's own survival and current policy is in keeping with that tradition.

Additionally - The CW issue is solely a SK-JPN one. Because all other involved nations do not use it in support of an anti-Japan diplomatic and political policy.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Will you bring up the fact to South Korea that they are Not part of Quad alliance and have refused to do so?? Important if you want to balance China.

South Korea is NOT WELCOME in the QUAD military alliance, and not trusted by the members. Why would the nations in there want SK? They are far closer in alliance to Communist China than they are with the leading democratic powers of the region.

I hope and trust Blinken reads crooked Moon and SK the riot act, and gives them an ultimatum : stop bullying Japan for political reasons, bringing up the dead and buried "comfort women" issue, or you are no longer considered an ally of the US, and the US will withdraw all troops and no longer protect you from the Commies to the North.

Having SE Asian nations like Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Phillippines join the QUAD is a sensible idea. NOT South Korea.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

@OssanJapan

The United States will have no reason to station troops in South Korea or defend it.

The US won't leave Korea even if asked to. The US is in Korea for its own mainland defense; ie the US missile defense(and Japan's) depends on ballistic missile radar feed that Korea provides to the US.

@Fighto!

South Korea is NOT WELCOME in the QUAD military alliance,

In case you haven't heard, both India and Australia depend heavily on Korea for arms supply; tanks, howitzers, IFVs, submarines, etc. They do not depend on Japan for a supply of single bullet however.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that the relationship between Japan and South Korea has a tremendous bearing on the US ability to confront China. If North Korea were to attack South Korea, an act which could not happen without the support of China, the only way that the US could effectively protect South Korea is with the logistics provided by Japan, which houses the largest US military presence in Asia and serves as the gateway to regional operations. South Korea can not be protected from Guam.

Alliances don't have to be contingent on the status of the CW issue. There is no connection. Neither South Korea nor Japan would want North Korea controlling the peninsula and having an easier time hurling ballistic missiles and nukes your way. You are not a politician or a military commander, so you have a difficult time seeing the bigger pictures.

Keep thinking that the trivial CW situation is going to lead to a breakdown on alliances. lol... It won't.

South Korea's use of anti-Japan sentiment as a diplomatic and political tool is a thorn in the side of US strategic policy, as evidenced by the Moon administration's willingness to risk GSOMIA. It serves South Korean domestic politics, works in favor of North Korea and China, but works against the U.S. and Japan and all nations willing to stand up to China's unilasteral territorial expansion.

Wrong. Read the following from The Diplomat:

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Seoul considered its relations and cooperation with the United States before deciding to extend the agreement [GSOMIA] with Japan.

South Korea will treat the US well and work with them. Japan is a different story, and honestly, the Japan should not expect kindness from the Koreans considering their history.

Unless South Korea changes it's policy, and I don't see it happening, the writing is on the wall that eventually South Korea will be be treated for what it is. The United States will have no reason to station troops in South Korea or defend it. It will be South Korea itself preventing the US ability to do so. This is not what the US or Japan would want, but it is South Korea itself heading in that direction. Korea has a long history of playing both sides for it's own survival and current policy is in keeping with that tradition.

Answer my question about a North Korea-controlled peninsula.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

the US has announces the plan to deploy $28 billion worth of missiles on Okinawa, Taiwan, and the Philippines,

No, that is not what the Nikkei article said. The article said the US wants to put missile systems on the first island chain. That chain includes Taiwan and Okinawa (not the Philippines) but the US did not specifically say it was placing missiles on Taiwan. Doing so would probably be a last resort by the US when a war with China was seen as inevitable. It is too inflammatory to consider short of incipient hostilities. The first island chain includes a lot of small mostly Japanese controlled islands, places like Aogashima for example and many others including the Senkaku Islands where conceivably missiles could be emplaced to constrain the ability of Chinese forces to operate.

The current Philippine Constitution would prohibit the permanent stationing of US forces so fixed missile emplacements are out of the question. In any event the current government there is mostly hostile to the US and while their military still has a good relationship with the US military a lot of the rest of the nation hates the US.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The US won't leave Korea even if asked to.

I'm not so sure about this.

ie the US missile defense(and Japan's) depends on ballistic missile radar feed that Korea provides to the US.

This is correct. The US is in Korea for Japan and the US' benefit. Anyone who thinks we're there for altruistic reasons is a nut.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

In case you haven't heard, both India and Australia depend heavily on Korea for arms supply; tanks, howitzers, IFVs, submarines, etc. They do not depend on Japan for a supply of single bullet however.

South Korea has sold K-9 Thunder howitzers to India but nothing else. Australia has not bought any arms from South Korea but has named Hanwha Defense Australia the preferred bidder to build 30 howitzers and ten reload vehicles in Australia. Their army operates M-1A2 Abrams tanks. South Korea relies heavily on the Germans to design their subs based on the 214 class and assist in their construction with SAAB providing their electronics. Australia is buying a French designed sub (or not, the French are over budget and not meeting the local content rules of the original contract and there is talk of cancellation) . India is going in two directions, buying French Scorpene class diesel boats and their own in house (with Russian help) nuclear subs. South Korea's tanks require German power packs as the Korean designed power packs are not meeting reliability requirements yet. Scroll down this to see the box score of South Korea's military exports.

https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/korea-defense-industry-equipment

1 ( +3 / -2 )

South Korea has sold K-9 Thunder howitzers to India but nothing else. Australia has not bought any arms from South Korea but has named Hanwha Defense Australia the preferred bidder to build 30 howitzers and ten reload vehicles in Australia. Their army operates M-1A2 Abrams tanks. South Korea relies heavily on the Germans to design their subs based on the 214 class and assist in their construction with SAAB providing their electronics. Australia is buying a French designed sub (or not, the French are over budget and not meeting the local content rules of the original contract and there is talk of cancellation) . India is going in two directions, buying French Scorpene class diesel boats and their own in house (with Russian help) nuclear subs. South Korea's tanks require German power packs as the Korean designed power packs are not meeting reliability requirements yet. Scroll down this to see the box score of South Korea's military exports.

> https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/korea-defense-industry-equipment

This is a good post. I wouldn't consider South Korea (Or Japan) as military powerhouses. Korean weapons can be easily substituted.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Can you please write a convincing argument why the CW situation is related to policies that will contain China? The CW problem is between Korea and Japan, not China.

You are correct that they have nothing to do with China. However the aggravation between Japan and SK on those issues (open wounds) seems to trump any other issue when they are in a room together. It might not make sense to anyone else but to them it makes perfect sense.

You can run a marathon with a pebble in your shoe but you wont be able to stop thinking about it and you wont be running at your best until the pebble is no longer in your shoe.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

In case you haven't heard, both India and Australia depend heavily on Korea for arms supply; tanks, howitzers, IFVs, submarines, etc.

Wow how wrong can you be? Australia is not reliant on South Korea at all. They have asked for permission to build under license at Geelong in Victoria, 30 x SPH K9 Aussie Thunder and 15 x K10 loaders. That is all.

SK is also in the running for the IFV contract for over 400 units, most to be build locally in Australia. However the German Lynx 41 may be favored as the German Boxer is already being made in Queensland for recon vehicles. As of this moment Australia is zero percent reliant on SK for weapons systems.

Not sure on India.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The US is in Korea for Japan and the US' benefit. Anyone who thinks we're there for altruistic reasons is a nut.

So the idea that nations can cooperate together for their mutual defense is simply not possible in your world view? Any such relationship naturally has to be exploitive? I think your opinion says more about your own life than the relationship between Japan, South Korea and the US. Both Japan and South Korean governments could tell the US to leave tomorrow and the US would have to leave, just as US forces left the Philippines in 1992. The US, notwithstanding the crazy opinions of some here, does not own Japan and South Korea and does not control their governments. But both of those nations know pretty clearly what happens the day after the last US soldier leaves their nation. Unlike you they are not naive about the intentions of China and North Korea, or Russia.

When North Korea invaded the south, the US had no combat units in South Korea. There were 500 military advisors and that was it. South Korea had no tanks or modern combat aircraft. After WWII the US was tired of war and had demobilized to a great extent. The invasion from the north was a complete surprise and a rude awakening for the US. It forced the US to reactivate closed bases and bring ships back into service that were retired after WWII with the intention of being scrapped. It was not a war the US wanted to fight and the aftermath was a messy stalemate. But seeing as how the US kind of naively left South Korea poorly defended during the immediate post war period the US sort of owes them some protection today. Same for Japan. The US forced Japan to accept a pacifist constitution and accepted responsibility for a large part of Japan's defense. This was not just something done for the US either. None of Japan's Asian neighbors wanted Japan to re-arm and threaten them again. As long as Japan was dependent on the US for major military capabilities other Asian people slept well at night. For the past couple of decades many Asian nations viewed China more favorably than they viewed Japan. That is the truth! It has only been since the rise of Xi Jinping that Asians learned to distrust China and look more favorably upon Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Not sure on India.

India bought K-9 Thunder howitzers from South Korea.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Desert TortoiseToday  03:18 am JST

As long as Japan was dependent on the US for major military capabilities other Asian people slept well at night. For the past couple of decades many Asian nations viewed China more favorably than they viewed Japan. That is the truth! It 

You weren't around in the 1980s were you.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

You weren't around in the 1980s were you.

I was under the flag of COMFAIRWESTPAC Atsugi Japan in the 1980s.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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