Joe Biden arrived this Friday (20) in South Korea on his first trip to Asia as president of the United States, in which he intends to strengthen ties in the area of security with regional allies, in opposition to China, and in a context of concern about a possible North Korean nuclear test.
In one of his first statements upon arrival, the American said the future will be written in the Indo-Pacific and that now is the time for the United States and like-minded partners to invest in each other.
After landing at Osan air base, Biden headed to the world’s largest semiconductor factory, owned by Samsung, a South Korean company that has nearly 20,000 employees in the United States. In the industry, which is based in Pyeongtaek, he was welcomed by Yoon Suk-yeol, the new president of South Korea, who has a pro-US stance.
Chips used in cellphones, 5G, high-performance computing and artificial intelligence have become a turning point in Washington’s competition with China and concerns about disruptions to the global supply chain caused by the pandemic.
In comments during the factory tour, Biden said the economic shockwaves of the Ukraine War had reinforced the need to secure critical supply chains so that the US economy and national security are not dependent on countries “that do not share our values.” “.
To achieve that autonomy, Biden said Washington would work “with close partners” who share his values — and cited South Korea.
Yoon, in turn, urged Biden to provide incentives for South Korean companies to invest in the US and vice versa. “With today’s visit, I hope that Korea-US relations will be reborn as an economic and security alliance based on high-tech and supply chain cooperation,” said the South Korean, noting that his country manufactures nearly 70% of the chips. used in the world.
China
Tackling China’s presence in the region is a key theme for Biden on the trip, but the South Korean government is likely to take a cautious tone in public on the matter, given that Beijing is Seoul’s main trading partner.
South Korea is expected to be among the inaugural members of Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which will be announced during the trip to set standards on labour, the environment and supply chains.
Asked about Beijing’s opposition to the IPEF, Yoon told reporters on Friday that joining the framework need not conflict with South Korea’s economic ties with China. “There’s no need to see this as a zero sum,” he said.
The United States wants to “affirm the image of what the world could be if democracies and open societies came together to dictate the rules of the game” around American “leadership”, declared US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
“We believe the message will be heard in Beijing. But it is not a negative message and it is not directed against any country,” he said.
China and Taiwan, however, are on everyone’s minds.
Earlier this month, CIA Director William Burns said Beijing was “watching closely” the Russian invasion of Ukraine to learn the lessons of the “costs and consequences” of a forcible takeover of Taiwan.
In addition to talks with the rulers of South Korea and Japan, Biden will participate in Tokyo in a summit meeting of the Quad group, which includes Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
North Korea
In this first leg of the visit to Asia, Biden will visit US and South Korean troops, but will not make the traditional presidential trip to the fortified border known as the DMZ between South Korea and North Korea, the White House said.
The US government has repeatedly stated, in vain, that it is willing to engage in talks with North Korea, despite the country having carried out several missile tests since the beginning of the year.
Seoul and Washington expect Pyongyang to resume nuclear tests imminently after running six exercises between 2006 and 2017.
The US government considers that there is a “real possibility” that North Korea will announce “a new missile launch or a nuclear test” during the trip, Sullivan told reporters aboard the Air Force One plane.
.According to the US intelligence service, there is a “real possibility” that North Korea will try to organize a “provocation” after Biden’s arrival in Seoul.
This could mean “new missile tests, long-range missile tests or a nuclear test, or frankly both, in the days before, during or after the president’s trip to the region,” Sullivan said.
He denied that such an event would be seen as a diplomatic setback for the president. “This would underscore one of the main messages we sent during the trip, which is that the United States is there for its allies and partners,” he said.
