As the U.S. focuses on the war in Iran, China is accelerating its expansion of influence, sharply escalating security concerns among U.S. Asian allies, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
Last month near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a disputed area between China and the Philippines, the Chinese Coast Guard repeatedly carried out baton beatings and water cannon attacks against the Philippine side.
This marked the most serious armed conflict between the two countries in years. The U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines expressed outrage and declared that the United States stands with the Philippines, its long-standing ally in Southeast Asia.
However, The New York Times pointed out that no one expects China to restrain its expansionist moves in the Asian region.
It also reported that growing doubts are emerging among Asian nations over the U.S. resolve to curb China's influence, given the distraction and depletion of military resources caused by the war in Iran.
This means Asian allies are slowly beginning to question the likelihood of receiving U.S. protection in the event of an emergency.
The U.S. military is facing a depletion of core weaponry, including air defense interceptor missiles, due to the prolonged war in Iran.
Some U.S. military base facilities in the Middle East were damaged and troops evacuated following Iranian missile and drone attacks, which The New York Times interpreted as a hint of the role a militarily stronger China could play in an Asian conflict.
On the 6th of last month, China test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capable of carrying nuclear weapons in the Pacific. While China was thus flexing its military muscle, the Trump administration pursued the closure of several consulates in countries such as Indonesia and Japan, and mentioned the need to increase defense cost sharing.
The New York Times also noted that U.S. steps to compromise with China, abandoning its previous hardline stance to improve relations, are a factor unsettling Asian allies.
In fact, President Trump recently showed signs of recognizing China as an equal superpower, and spared no praise for President Xi Jinping during the U.S.-China summit held last May.
As the relationship between President Trump and President Xi grows closer, some Asian countries are feeling alienated while choosing to maintain friendly attitudes toward China, an analysis by The New York Times showed, because China is the largest trading partner for most of these nations, while the U.S. fails to offer economic alternatives.
(Reported by Lee Ho-geon | Video edited by Na Hong-hee | Design by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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