Biden expands Washington coalition network to confront China, Russia and Trump

President Joe Biden has expanded the network of United States partnerships by convening a historic trilateral summit with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, sending a message to adversaries despite internal political climate concerns.

Since taking office in 2021, Biden's administration has fostered a unified stance within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

The United States has also entered a trilateral defense agreement with Australia and Britain, strengthened cooperation within a quadrilateral framework including Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. These moves, while not officially declared, are seen as a clear response to China.

The United States primarily maintains security alliances with Japan and South Korea, where approximately 84,500 troops are stationed collectively. 

However, Washington is currently planning regular military exercises in all domains, immediate information sharing, and the establishment of a crisis hotline.

John Alterman, Deputy Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, stated that alliances are part of Biden's mindset as he was a senator during the end of the Cold War. 

He emphasized that partnerships can reinforce other countries' trust in US directions, saying, "This administration deeply believes in the centrality of partnerships, not their importance but their centrality."

He confirmed that the challenge lies in the fact that all partners remember the previous administration, scrutinize polling numbers, and lack confidence in predicting the US situation two, five, or ten years from now.

Former President Donald Trump openly questioned the importance of alliances, arguing that countries like Germany and South Korea were not paying enough for the presence of US forces on their soil. He also ridiculed NATO commitments related to mutual defense among all allies.

Trump is again seeking a return to the White House, and new opinion polls indicate a decreased support for US military assistance to Ukraine, totaling $43 billion since the start of the Russian invasion.

When questioned about Trump during a joint press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David, Biden stated, "America First policy (pursued by his predecessor) that essentially shut us off from the rest of the world has put us in a weaker position, not a stronger position."

Biden added, "America is stronger with our allies and alliances, and that's why we're going to prevail."

While the United States led a joint defense pact in Europe for decades (NATO), it has established separate alliances with countries such as Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and Thailand in Asia, which Biden considers a region of utmost importance.

The Camp David summit was unexpected until recently due to historical animosity between Japan and South Korea.

Yoon turned the page by resolving the conflict related to forced labor in Japan that affected Koreans during the war.

Both Yoon, Kishida, and Biden affirmed they share the same vision of an "rules-based international order," signaling China's display of strength in Asia and Ukraine. Japan and South Korea were among non-Western countries supporting Ukraine.

China criticized the Camp David initiative, with state media pointing out that the United States is exacerbating tensions by establishing a "mini-NATO" despite the absence of trilateral mutual defense commitments.

Shihoko Goto, Acting Director of Asia Program at the Wilson Center, questioned whether the three countries aim for a collective self-alliance. However, she noted that this new cooperation between these countries is part of a "meshing" of existing alliance arrangements.

She stated, "Like a single thread that may be weak, but by turning it into a part of this fabric and into a multi-level approach, it can become truly strong."



AFP