Page 45 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

How Should “We” React?

Strategic Objectives

First, passively, our short-term goal is to prevent China-North
Korea integration. By deterring intentionally planned attacks,
we minimize shock and damage. While it is critical to deter
threats from North Korea and China individually, it is even
more critical to prevent them from pursuing regional strategic
simultaneity. If their primary objective is to weaken the U.S.
alliance network regionally, then disrupting their simultaneity
should be our goal.

• Preventing Miscalculation: North Korea and China should
not believe that the strategic situation in the region is
favorable for them to attack. If they believe that the U.S. will
not intervene right away or that South Korea or Japan is not
prepared, they may believe that they can accomplish their
goals more quickly. As a result, we must make them believe
that we are living in a “defense-dominance” situation.

• Preventing Simultaneity: In Northeast Asia, provocations
by North Korea, a Taiwan contingency, and the Senkaku
Islands dispute are the tipping points. Unintended military
conflicts in one region could give rise to opportunistic
attacks elsewhere. An important goal is to end crises at a
low level early to prevent horizontal escalation.

• Preventing Integration: The most worrying thing is that
there’s a chance that China and North Korea will deepen

44 Section I : North Korea-China Relations: How and Why Does Beijing Protect and Empower Pyongyang?