Korea and Japan 'hold their breath' before US President's visit

(Baonghean.vn)- US analysts say that President Donald Trump could make Japanese and South Korean government officials "fearful" and "hold their breath" as he prepares to visit these countries.

Referring to the US President’s upcoming trip to Asia, expert Scott Snyder of the US-Korea Council on Foreign Relations said: “Over the past 10 months, we have learned to adapt to receive shocks from President Trump, and when it comes to Korea, many government officials will also be worried and hold their breath. They want Mr. Trump to follow what is already available.”

Seoul and Tokyo will have to be on guard against any similar confrontational or aggressive behavior during the US President's visit. Photo: AP

In recent months, President Trump has raised concerns among South Korea's ally, with repeated attacks on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and suggestions that Washington could launch a preemptive strike to deter any military attack from Pyongyang.

Seoul and Tokyo will have to be wary of any similar confrontational or aggressive behavior related to North Korea or other sensitive diplomatic issues, analysts say, as media in Japan and South Korea could raise questions about the hot issues.

Bruce Klingner, a former CIA analyst and now a senior North Korea expert at the Heritage Foundation, said that in South Korea, “fear of being abandoned and getting into trouble has been growing in recent years.”

“Seoul is concerned that when North Korea’s capabilities improve and they can attack the US mainland with nuclear weapons, will the US really trade Seoul for Los Angeles? We will abandon them to protect our own territory. As for the fear of getting into trouble, we will make them get into a war with North Korea through a preemptive strike or a deterrent strike,” the expert said.

Japan “has no interest in signing a bilateral FTA with the US”. Photo: AP

There is also a risk of disagreements arising from Mr. Trump’s discussions in Japan, despite analysts from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Heritage Foundation assessing the relationship between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as warm.

“Reporters can ask about the Okinawa base and its difficulties, and the government has not really focused on the conflict between the Japanese people and the U.S. military forces on the ground,” said Sheila A. Smith, a Japan expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. “There are still issues that make the Japanese people angry, and the president can respond on Twitter.”

On the trade front, Walter Lohman, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, said that Prime Minister Abe is likely to “reject” Trump’s desire to engage in talks on a bilateral free trade agreement, after Washington withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). According to this expert, Tokyo “is not interested in signing a bilateral FTA with the US”./.

Lan Ha

(According to SCMP)