US Defense Chief to Hold Talks With ‘Critical Allies’ Amid China, North Korea Threats

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a press conference at the Pentagon on Nov. 3, 2022. Andrew Harnik/AP Photo

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit South Korea and the Philippines to bolster ties with “critical allies” in the face of growing threats posed by the communist Chinese and North Korean regimes, the Pentagon said on Jan. 17.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that Austin will meet with “senior government and military leaders” in South Korea and the Philippines in the coming weeks, without specifying travel dates.

“This upcoming trip is a reaffirmation of our deep commitment to working in concert with allies and partners to chart our shared vision to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Ryder said at a press briefing.

The visit follows Austin’s recent meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada at the Pentagon on Jan. 12, at which they agreed to start “intensive discussions” on the roles of the U.S.–Japan alliance after Japan acquired counterstrike capability.

The United States has sought to deepen bilateral relations with allies in the Indo-Pacific region to counter the increased military assertiveness of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and North Korea’s nuclear threats.

North Korea fired an unprecedented number of missiles last year, one of which was a Hwasong-17, which experts dubbed a “monster missile” capable of striking anywhere in the United States and beyond.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken participate in the Peace, Security, and Governance Forum during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington on Dec. 13, 2022. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

At a press conference alongside Austin and Japanese counterparts on Jan. 11, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to the People’s Republic of China—China’s official name—as “the greatest strategic challenge” facing the United States and its allies.

However, Austin cast doubt on claims that the CCP was planning an imminent invasion of Taiwan despite the regime’s recent provocative actions toward the self-ruled island.

“We’ve seen increased surface vessel activity around Taiwan. And again, we believe that they endeavor to establish a new normal, but whether or not that means that an invasion is imminent, I seriously doubt that,” he told reporters.

“So we will continue to watch, and we will continue to work with our allies and partners to do everything that we can to ensure that we promote peace and stability in the strait and in the region overall.”

Taiwan has been a self-governing democracy since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949, but the CCP views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be reunited with mainland China by any means necessary.

Japan is concerned about its own vulnerability as the CCP boosts its military drills near Taiwan and the East China Sea, where the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands are situated.

Any attack on Taiwan could also threaten Philippine security because of its proximity to Taiwan, which sits on the north side of the Luzon Strait.

ASEAN Facing‘ Strong’ Pressure

Newly-elected Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivers a speech during the inauguration ceremony at the National Museum in Manila, Philippines, on June 30, 2022. Eloisa Lopez/Reuters

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Jan. 16 that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is facing “strong pressure” from major powers to choose sides amid geopolitical rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The forces of us going back to that Cold War type of scenario, where you have to choose one side or the other, are strong,” Marcos told reporters in Switzerland, according to a state-run media outlet.

“I think we are determined as a group in ASEAN and in the Indo-Pacific, those around the Indo-Pacific, despite all of this conflict, we are determined to stay away from that.”

Marcos said ASEAN nations would forge alliances and pursue their own goals without being influenced by any countries. He signed 14 bilateral agreements with CCP leader Xi Jinping on Jan. 4, including a maritime security deal.

In August 2022, Marcos said the volatile international situation—including the Ukraine war and China’s military threat near Taiwan—highlighted the need for his country to improve ties with the United States.

“We can no longer isolate one part of our relationship from the other,” Marcos said following his meeting with Blinken in Manila on Aug. 6.