South Korea takes firmer stance on maritime claims, departing from past ambiguity, possibly inviting Chinese retaliation
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in front of a map of the South China Sea | Image: ROK presidential office, Communist Party of China, edited by Korea Pro
In the wake of the Aug. 18 “Spirit of Camp David” joint declaration, the U.S., South Korea and Japan unveiled what they christened as a “new era of trilateral partnership.” This agreement scales trilateral cooperation to new heights, but it also underscores a pronounced pivot in South Korea’s foreign policy doctrine — primarily marked by Seoul’s departure from its past equivocal position on the South China Sea.
The joint statement directly addresses the elephant in the room — China’s “dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims” — highlighting an Aug. 5 incident when Chinese Coast Guard ships took aggressive action against their Philippine counterparts who were on a mission to resupply a Philippine military outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands.
In the wake of the Aug. 18 “Spirit of Camp David” joint declaration, the U.S., South Korea and Japan unveiled what they christened as a “new era of trilateral partnership.” This agreement scales trilateral cooperation to new heights, but it also underscores a pronounced pivot in South Korea’s foreign policy doctrine — primarily marked by Seoul’s departure from its past equivocal position on the South China Sea.
The joint statement directly addresses the elephant in the room — China’s “dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims” — highlighting an Aug. 5 incident when Chinese Coast Guard ships took aggressive action against their Philippine counterparts who were on a mission to resupply a Philippine military outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands.
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