US ‘pivot’ to Asia cannot be derailed — Biden

From the Daily Tribune (Dec 7): US ‘pivot’ to Asia cannot be derailed — Biden

US Vice President Joe Biden yesterday said there should be no doubt about Washington’s commitment to its strategic shift to Asia as he wound up a regional tour dominated by security concerns.

In talks with South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and later in a speech at Seoul’s Yonsei University, Biden reiterated US opposition to a new Chinese air defense identification zone (ADIZ) that has fuelled regional tensions — especially between Beijing and Japan.

The Philippines has also expressed alarm on China’s announcement that it will “establish other air defense identification zones at an appropriate time after completing preparations,” fearing that Beijing’s statement signals that China intends to eventually adopt an ADIZ over the contested Spratly Islands.

In his talks with Park, Biden stressed there would be no change to President Barack Obama’s new security strategy that emphasizes a shift, or “pivot,” toward the Asia region in recognition of China’s growing military power.

“I want to make one thing absolutely clear: President Obama’s decision to rebalance to the Pacific basin is not in question,” Biden said as the two leaders sat down for talks.

“The United States never says anything it does not do. It’s never been a good bet to bet against America... and America will continue to place its bet on South Korea,” he added.

At the same time, he underlined the regional — and global — unity in the face of the “clear and present danger” of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

“Let there be no doubt, the United States is committed to do what it takes to defend our allies and ourselves against North Korean aggression. Period,” he said in his speech.

The threat posed by Pyongyang was underlined by the publication Thursday of new satellite images that appeared to show increased activity at North Korea’s main nuclear site, in line with the regime’s vows to expand its weapons program.

Seoul was Biden’s last stop on a three-country Asia tour that has already taken him to Japan and China.

President Park pressed Biden on Friday on China’s new air defense identification zone which, as well as inflaming Beijing’s territorial disputes with Japan, also overlaps South Korea’s own ADIZ.

Seoul has threatened to announce the expansion of its ADIZ in retaliation — a move Biden was seeking to discourage as Washington seeks to calm what is already a dangerously volatile mood in the region.

Acknowledging the “considerable apprehension” triggered by China’s declaration, Biden stressed that Washington did not recognize the new zone.

But the US has stopped short of calling on Beijing to rescind its new air defense zone, which sent tensions in Asia soaring, especially with its rival Japan.

The White House instead called on Beijing not to “implement” the zone covering a part of the East China Sea, and repeated its stance that it did not recognize Beijing’s “provocative” move.

China’s declaration of the zone has sparked fears that a miscommunication could spark a military confrontation between its forces and other powers and dominated a regional tour by Biden.

“We call on China not to implement it,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Carney dismissed the notion that his linguistic formulation suggested Washington would accept a situation whereby Beijing did not formally rescind the zone — a move that would be seen as a loss of face — but did not actively enforce it.

“I think you’re looking for nuance and semantics that aren’t really there,” Carney said.

“We, the United States, do not recognize it, and we do not accept it, and it will not change how the US conducts military operations in the region,” Carney said.

Biden spelled out the US line on the zone, in which Beijing says all aircraft must obey its instructions, in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A US official traveling with Biden said earlier that it was up to China to take action “to avoid the risk of mistake, miscalculation, accident or escalation.”

China’s decision to declare the zone in an area which includes disputed islands provoked anger in the region and prompted the United States, Japan and South Korea to fly military and paramilitary aircraft through the area.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/us-pivot-to-asia-cannot-be-derailed-biden