| Summary/Abstract |
The strengthening Sino–Russian defense partnership has complicated ROK–U.S.
military planning regarding North Korea, diverted U.S. and Japanese resources from
concentrating against North Korea, and worsened the regional security environment
by stimulating local arms races. Beijing and Moscow’s vigorous opposition to the
deployment of advanced U.S. missile defenses in South Korea has illuminated
their perception of increased ROK–U.S. military ties as a potential threat. Further,
China and Russia’s military activities around the Korean Peninsula increase the risk
of inadvertent encounters with other navies. South Korea, Japan, and the United
States need to consider how China and Russia will react in such cases. Additionally,
because the expanding Sino–Russian defense cooperation and technology sharing
complicates assessments of military developments and security trends in Asia, it is
imperative to hold expanded ROK–U.S. consultations, about Sino–Russian defense
interactions, ideally with the inclusion of Japan.
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