South Korea signs defense agreement with China

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

China signs defence agreement with South Korea as US angers Seoul with demand for $5bn troop payment

The defence ministers of South Korea and China have agreed to develop their security ties to ensure stability in north-east Asia, the latest indication that Washington’s long-standing alliances in the region are fraying.

On the sidelines of regional security talks in Bangkok on Sunday, Jeong Kyeong-doo, the South Korean minister of defence, and his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, agreed to set up more military hotlines and to push ahead with a visit by Mr Jeong to China next year to “foster bilateral exchanges and cooperation in defence”, South Korea’s defence ministry said. 

Seoul’s announcement coincided with growing resentment at the $5 billion (£3.9bn) annual fee that Washington is demanding to keep 28,500 US troops in South Korea.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

This is big, people.

[Storr]

The South Koreans aren't going to let Trump push them around and make them cow-tow to his (in my opinion, ludicrous) demands, and this is a sign of that. South Korea is a well developed country now and no longer completely dependent on the US for survival or protection.

[Kingpoleon]

We all know what this is really about: China undeniably despises their North Korean allies. I wouldn’t have thought they’d be this blatant about it though.

On the bright side, if China ever fully realigns itself with South Korea, Pyongyang will probably reform or fall soon after.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Holy sh*t.

I'm by no means an expert in East Asian geopolitics, but this has the potential to totally realign the region, yes?

[urutzizu]

The Importance of this is being way overstated and not understood by certain people here.

I'm by no means an expert in East Asian geopolitics, but this has the potential to totally realign the region, yes?

No, not at all. Its more of a joint statement to develope defense ties, for example defense sales, if anything. It is nothing close to a mutual defense agreement, like what ROK has with the US. This is fairly normal in the world of Geopolitics, between countries, even ones that are not regularly aligned. Its meaning is relatively little.

However, it is indicative of a direction. A direction that has already been visible with the far more important ROK-Japan trade spat and the abrogation of their intelligence sharing pact. There is a frustration in South Korea with the US and it being percieved as being a bit Pushy and biased towards Japan. But South Korea is going to continue to aligned with the US for all forseeable future, Moon and all major Politicans in the ROK have been perfectly clear about that, and the recent Russian/Chinese intrusions into South Koreas ADIZ and the North rejecting denuclearization will mean that the US-Korea alliance will remain.

[Santander]

Korea knows their destiny will always be tied to China. It's about time the old order was restored.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

The Importance of this is being way overstated and not understood by certain people here.

I'm by no means an expert in East Asian geopolitics, but this has the potential to totally realign the region, yes?

No, not at all. Its more of a joint statement to develope defense ties, for example defense sales, if anything. It is nothing close to a mutual defense agreement, like what ROK has with the US. This is fairly normal in the world of Geopolitics, between countries, even ones that are not regularly aligned. Its meaning is relatively little.

However, it is indicative of a direction. A direction that has already been visible with the far more important ROK-Japan trade spat and the abrogation of their intelligence sharing pact. There is a frustration in South Korea with the US and it being percieved as being a bit Pushy and biased towards Japan. But South Korea is going to continue to aligned with the US for all forseeable future, Moon and all major Politicans in the ROK have been perfectly clear about that, and the recent Russian/Chinese intrusions into South Koreas ADIZ and the North rejecting denuclearization will mean that the US-Korea alliance will remain.

Very informative, thank-you!

[Omega21]

Korea knows their destiny will always be tied to China. It's about time the old order was restored.

This really has some truth to it.

For centuries the most developed Empires in the World have waged wars only to have control of the trade routes to China.

China was the big dog, but the fact that everyone was throwing silver at them made them too comfortable, leading to their eventual decline as they failed to innovate and step outside of their comfort zone.