U.S. likely to mediate trade dispute between South Korea and Japan low-key: Experts
- 5 years ago
한일 갈등 대처 위해 美 적극적으로 나올까?
We know that the U.S. has been trying to mediate between Seoul and Tokyo in their latest dispute.
Whatever efforts were made in that direction were less than totally effective, though, seeing as Japan went ahead and took South Korea off its list of trusted trading partners.
So the question is will the U.S. keep trying to help its allies work things out?
Our Lee Ji-won asked some experts.
"The U.S. expressed concerns over the ongoing dispute between South Korea and Japan, stressing that the two sides need to talk in order to solve the problem, while offering to play a role to help resolve the issue."
After the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting with her U.S. and Japanese counterparts in Thailand earlier this month, Minister Kang made it known that Washington is willing to mediate between the two sides.
However, experts doubt that there's much Washington can do... or would actively try to do.
"The Obama administration tried to use trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo to pressure Beijing. But President Trump is different. He directly pressures China through bilateral issues like the trade war. Thus, Trump doesn't see that maintaining good trilateral ties has a direct benefit for the U.S., and thus will not play an active role between America's two Asian allies."
"It'd be hard for Trump himself to play an active role in the dispute because they are doing the same to China citing security issues to impose trade restrictions. Plus, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hasn't asked the U.S. for help."
The U.S., before Japan took South Korea off its whitelist of trading partners, had proposed a "standstill agreement" to prevent the conflict from growing and to allow talks to happen.
But Japan rejected the proposal,... causing the U.S. to lose face and giving it another reason not to intervene, according to Professor Kim.
Still, the experts think that there could be a lower level of mediation from the U.S.,... including from officials more interested in foreign affairs, to prevent the collapse of the trilateral cooperation.
"South Korea's possible termination of the Seoul-Tokyo military information-sharing pact could shift the traditional relationship the U.S. has had with its allies. That would mean the decoupling of the Seoul-Washington and Washington-Tokyo alliances,... which would limit U.S. pressure on China."
Kim, however, also warned that South Korea should not play this card further because it could portray a threatening or negative image to the U.S..
Professor Hosaka added, amid the risk to the global supply chain and concerns among U.S. techNOlogy-related industries, there will be some sort of a mediation from Washington.
However he added that it's more important for Seoul to appeal to the international community than to simply win Washington's support in pressuring Tokyo.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
We know that the U.S. has been trying to mediate between Seoul and Tokyo in their latest dispute.
Whatever efforts were made in that direction were less than totally effective, though, seeing as Japan went ahead and took South Korea off its list of trusted trading partners.
So the question is will the U.S. keep trying to help its allies work things out?
Our Lee Ji-won asked some experts.
"The U.S. expressed concerns over the ongoing dispute between South Korea and Japan, stressing that the two sides need to talk in order to solve the problem, while offering to play a role to help resolve the issue."
After the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting with her U.S. and Japanese counterparts in Thailand earlier this month, Minister Kang made it known that Washington is willing to mediate between the two sides.
However, experts doubt that there's much Washington can do... or would actively try to do.
"The Obama administration tried to use trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo to pressure Beijing. But President Trump is different. He directly pressures China through bilateral issues like the trade war. Thus, Trump doesn't see that maintaining good trilateral ties has a direct benefit for the U.S., and thus will not play an active role between America's two Asian allies."
"It'd be hard for Trump himself to play an active role in the dispute because they are doing the same to China citing security issues to impose trade restrictions. Plus, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hasn't asked the U.S. for help."
The U.S., before Japan took South Korea off its whitelist of trading partners, had proposed a "standstill agreement" to prevent the conflict from growing and to allow talks to happen.
But Japan rejected the proposal,... causing the U.S. to lose face and giving it another reason not to intervene, according to Professor Kim.
Still, the experts think that there could be a lower level of mediation from the U.S.,... including from officials more interested in foreign affairs, to prevent the collapse of the trilateral cooperation.
"South Korea's possible termination of the Seoul-Tokyo military information-sharing pact could shift the traditional relationship the U.S. has had with its allies. That would mean the decoupling of the Seoul-Washington and Washington-Tokyo alliances,... which would limit U.S. pressure on China."
Kim, however, also warned that South Korea should not play this card further because it could portray a threatening or negative image to the U.S..
Professor Hosaka added, amid the risk to the global supply chain and concerns among U.S. techNOlogy-related industries, there will be some sort of a mediation from Washington.
However he added that it's more important for Seoul to appeal to the international community than to simply win Washington's support in pressuring Tokyo.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.