Over the past two decades, many countries have tried to follow the formula of “security dependence on the United States” and “economic dependence on China,” struggling to maneuver between these two
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Washington this week for his first state visit to the United States. He met with President Joe Biden, is to deliver a speech at Harvard University, and address a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Although he will be one of America’s most well-received world leaders, the trip will be a difficult test for Yoon.
Over the past two decades, many countries have tried to follow the formula of “security dependence on the United States” and “economic dependence on China,” struggling to maneuver between these two superpowers. But as China has become more proactive in using its economic power to bend the world to its will, the formula has become increasingly untenable. Yoon’s presidency heralds a shift in policy. During Biden’s visit to Seoul last May, Yoon described the U.S.–South Korean partnership as an “economic security” alliance, emphasizing that “the economy is security, and security is the economy.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has at least partially confirmed Yoon’s prescience. It is abundantly clear that several economic factors have made the democratic world vulnerable to a burgeoning Russia-China alliance, including Europe’s overdependence on Russian oil, gas, and grain and China’s unprincipled trade tactics. All together, these factors encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade its democratic neighbor.
The war in Ukraine has shattered many rosy predictions about potential conflicts in East Asia.
