MIXED MESSAGES FROM WASHINGTON
Hegseth’s itinerary includes visits to the Philippines and Japan. Both US treaty allies should use this opportunity to get firm answers on how much support they can count on, but also shore up their capabilities in the face of Washington’s unpredictability.
The China challenge is getting harder to manage. Manila and Tokyo both have overlapping maritime claims with Beijing in the South and East China seas. These are becoming more difficult to fight as the People’s Liberation Army expands its capabilities around the world, using the full force of its coast guard and advanced undersea cable-cutting technology to its advantage.
Also in the mix is Taiwan’s security, which is important for Japan because of its geographic proximity. President Joe Biden’s administration relied on a network of support among allies to keep countries safe and stand up to China. There’s no indication that will continue under Trump.
There have been some moments of clarity. The defence secretary has had conversations with some key Asian allies, including the Philippines and Thailand, affirming iron-clad support for Manila. Joint Indo-Pacific drills between Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and the US took place earlier this month, and are set to continue despite objections from China.
But some of the other signals from Washington aren’t as encouraging. Under Biden, the US pledged to ramp up its military presence in Japan with the creation of a joint force headquarters.
Those plans may be scrapped to save costs, according to NBC and other local media reports. Trump has questioned why American money is being used to help Japan and other Asian allies defend themselves. These mixed messages are unsettling for the region.
Meanwhile, Beijing continues to get more assertive. Activities by Chinese vessels near a set of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea – called the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China – are “clearly escalating”, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Monday (Mar 24).
The Philippine defence chief has called the superpower’s expansive claims in the South China Sea “the biggest fiction and lie” that no Southeast Asian country would accept, adding that President Xi Jinping’s aggressive policies have undermined international goodwill fostered by his predecessors.
