U. S. Defense Secretary James Mattis will be in South Korea and Japan this week to remind both countries of Washington’s support amid uncertainties over President Donald Trump’s policies, a belligerent North Korea and renewed tensions in the South China Sea.
It is the first international trip among Trump’s cabinet secretaries, according to Reuters, underscoring the importance Trump places on Seoul and Tokyo while he threatens a trade war against Beijing , experts said.
The visit should also allay broad concerns about American leadership in Asia and fears over the future of South Korea and Japan’s bilateral relationships with the U. S.
“The message of this trip is reassurance; reassurance that the Trump administration recognizes the importance of alliances with South Korea and Japan as well as the seriousness of the security situation there,” explained Kathleen Stephens, American ambassador to South Korea from 2008-2011.
During his election campaign, Trump pledged to remove existing American troops from Asia if host nations did not pay 100 percent of the costs—a troubling thought for Seoul and Tokyo, given that defense is a key priority in their respective relationships with Washington.
North Korea, a common thorn in the sides of Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo, will also feature prominently in Mattis’ talks.
Choe Kang II, deputy director general for North American affairs at North Korea’s foreign ministry told NBC News on Jan. 25 that Pyongyang was ready to test an intercontinental ballistic missile “at any time, any place,” adding to rising fears the rogue nation will act on its threat of targeting its enemies with a nuclear weapon. That same day, Mattis’ predecessor Ash Carter warned Washington would shoot down any missile aimed at it or an ally.
