Is a new cold war brewing in Asia?

[dArKeR]

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun recently announced that Seoul would redefine its diplomatic position to make it a driving force in achieving a balance of power in northeast Asia. He has given the indication that he is seeking to extricate his country from the US-Japan-South Korea relationship on the Korean Peninsula.
In addition to Roh's announcement, China and Russia announced that they would launch a joint military exercise in the Yellow Sea this fall, and on Feb. 19, the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee listed the Taiwan Strait as a "common strategic objective" in this region. These developments have led many Asian strategic experts to believe that East Asia is headed toward a new cold war.

Roh came to power thanks to his anti-US platform. Washington then decided to withdraw one-third of the troops by 2008 and adjust the role of the US-South Korea alliance. In the face of the downgrading of the alliance, North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons and its refusal to participate in the six-party talks, Seoul is concerned that Washington may employ methods other than diplomatic means to overthrow the Pyongyang regime in the second half of this year -- especially now that the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee assigned a supervisory role in the Asia-Pacific region to the US and Japan. The US-Japan alliance has also issued a statement to support "peaceful unification" of the Korean Peninsula. These were key factors that pushed South Korea to develop closer ties with China while keeping its distance from the US in order to adjust its strategic position.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2005/04/22/2003251475

[Geekscum]

1. It has been brewing for over a decade.