The newly formed alliance of the United States, Japan and South Korea is fueling the growing threat of widespread conflict in the Asia-Pacific region even as the three countries are trying to tout it as a step towards peace and stability. It is no coincidence that President Biden has already stated that such trilateral meetings, as well as joint military exercises, will now be held on an ongoing basis, which actually “ties” Tokyo and Seoul to Washington in military terms, since the new format of cooperation significantly expands the mutual integration of military structures and the parties’ obligations to share intelligence. Under current circumstances, there can be no doubt that the 80,000 American troops stationed in Japan and South Korea will now also remain there permanently.
At the same time, the most alarming symptom indicating the bellicose attitude of the new alliance is the systematic remilitarization of Japan. Hiding behind the potential threat from the DPRK, the state with a “pacifist” constitution has already announced its plans to double military spending over the next 5 years.