Can the US protect its Asian allies from the North Korean threat?

(Baonghean.vn) - Experts say that North Korea's ability to launch a missile over Japan has raised doubts about the US's commitment to protecting its allies in the region, as well as the lack of any "red lines".

North Korea launches medium-range missile. Photo: Reuters

Although the US has criticized North Korea's latest missile launch, the Trump administration has avoided making a clear statement about the provocative limit that North Korea is not allowed to cross, said Shihoko Goto, an expert at the Wilson Center.

“There is no red line drawn for when the US would intervene militarily to defend Japan, despite the Trump administration’s reassurance of the long-standing alliance,” Ms. Goto said.

Ms. Goto emphasized that North Korea's successful missile test on August 29 was clearly an act of threat to Japan, showing that the North Korean leadership could recognize the volatile situation in the US leadership and take advantage of this.

“North Korea is certainly taking advantage of regional instability, especially the US commitment to peace in Asia. Regional instability will continue and this will increase Pyongyang’s position,” the expert asserted.

However, Ms. Goto stressed that North Korea's latest missile launch will not weaken Japan's security relationship with the United States, but will instead strengthen it.

In addition, Ms. Goto explained that Tokyo is also trying to convince China and Russia to increase pressure on Pyongyang. But China cannot cooperate because of the close military ties between Japan and South Korea with the United States, and Beijing views the joint US-South Korea exercises as a direct provocation against North Korea.

Meanwhile, Mr. Crispin Rovere, an expert on arms control and nuclear policy in Australia, said that North Korea wants to weaken Japan's confidence in the US's ability and determination to protect this long-standing ally.

“By launching missiles, Pyongyang is sending a message to Japan that the threshold for conflict for the United States is different from the threshold for conflict that the United States sets for its allies. For example, the United States will not accept missiles flying over Hawaii,” said Mr. Rovere.

North Korea wants to undermine Japan's confidence in US protection. Photo: AP

According to this expert, the continued development of North Korea's ballistic missile capabilities means that President Trump will soon make a strong strategic choice, which was delayed by previous Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama.

Accordingly, once North Korea demonstrates the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons capable of reaching the United States, the Trump administration will face a direct, tough choice: accept the damage caused by North Korea, or engage in a major conflict on the Korean peninsula.

According to Mr. Rovere, North Korea is calculating that the United States will not support the idea of ​​a major war on the Korean Peninsula, so it is confident that Washington will not resort to credible military options. However, Mr. Rovere said that this is a miscalculation.

This expert also commented that US politicians are concerned about the long-term consequences of allowing a country to possess nuclear weapons like North Korea, so it is impossible to completely rule out the possibility that Washington and its allies will take risky preemptive military actions against Pyongyang./.

Lan Ha

(According to Sputnik)