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| US Indo-Pacific Commander Philip Davidson © News1 |
On the 9th (local time), the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, who has jurisdiction over the Pacific and Indian Oceans, including the Korean Peninsula, expressed views on the North Korean nuclear issue, the ROK-US defense cost share, and public control strategies.
US Indo-Pacific Commander Philip Davidson stressed that North Korea poses a significant security threat to the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region in a written response submitted in advance of the Senate Military Commission’s hearing on the 9th (local time).
Commander Davidson pointed out that North Korea “has not taken any meaningful steps toward denuclearization and is continuing to advance its strategic weapons program.”
Commander Davidson said that North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong-un “declared that he would no longer be bound by the deferred measures he took on nuclear and long-range missile tests in December 2019,” and “we are again taking a belligerent stance towards the United States.”
He pointed out that “North Korea’s missile research and development efforts are in line with its explicit goal of hitting the US mainland with the continued pursuit of nuclear materials and technology.”
In addition, regarding the comprehensive military agreement signed between the two Koreas in 2018, Chairman Kim Jong-un continues to demand Korea’s unilateral compliance and maintains a provocative position toward South Korea by repeatedly emphasizing the reduction of military relations between the two Koreas as a prerequisite for improving inter-Korean relations “He added.
In his response, Commander Davidson also noted that the absence of the ROK-US Defense Shares Special Agreement (SMA) would have a negative impact on the USFK’s “Fight Tonight” readiness.
“The ROK-US alliance is a key axis for maintaining a stable security environment,” he said, and said that the ROK-US and the United States currently “are dealing with the SMA gap, so it is expected to close in the near future.”
Earlier, the ROK and the United States reached an agreement on a 6-year defense cost share after negotiating in Washington, DC, USA on the 5th and 7th. The former administration of Donald Trump had been unable to find a contact point for a year and four months, and it was only 46 days after the Biden administration was inaugurated.
In his direct presence at the Senate Military Committee hearing, Commander Davidson argued that China could invade Taiwan within the next six years.
“I am concerned that China is accelerating its ambition to replace the US leadership role by 2050 in a rule-based international order.” The facts will be clear in the next six years.”
China and Taiwan were divided after the Nationalist Party, which had been defeated in the national and public (National Democratic Party and Communist Party) civil war in 1949, was expelled to Taiwan. However, China still sees Taiwan as a part of its territory and is opposed to official recognition of Taiwan as a state.
In 1979, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan by adhering to the’One China’ principle, which recognized mainland China as the only Chinese government. However, it enacted the Taiwan-related law as a domestic law and promised military support for defense, such as the export of weapons to Taiwan.
As the former Donald Trump administration confronted China, in response, it has significantly strengthened relations with Taiwan, selling weapons to Taiwan and dispatching health ministers or senior state department officials.
President Biden said that the US position on “one China” has not changed since taking office.
Commander Davidson also raised the possibility of China’s invasion of Guam and emphasized to lawmakers that Guam should deploy the ground-based missile defense system’Easy’s Ashore’.
“Guam needs to be defended,” he said. “It needs to be prepared for the threats to come.”
He emphasized that “China should know that the price for what they want is very high.”
In particular, Commander Davidson said, “The expansion of long-range precision weapons that support not only sea and air, but also all our ground forces, is very important in stabilizing the unstable Western Pacific region.”
“It can accommodate some of the forces already developed by the Navy and Air Force,” said Commander Davidson.
According to a budget document submitted by the Indo-Pacific Command to Congress last month, the United States needs to augment ground weapons along the First Archipelago (Okinawa-Taiwan-Philippines-Borneo). In fiscal year 2022 alone, it will cost $480 million (approximately 5464 billion won), and between 2023 and 2027, it will cost $2.9 billion (approximately 3,301.6 billion).
The United States has been able to use long-range weapons on ships and aircraft, but the arms trade treaty has limited it. However, the U.S. withdrew from the 2019 Intermediate Range Nuclear Power (INF) treaty with Russia.
The US Department of Defense said it agrees with the deployment of missiles in the area. Asian allies appeared to be opposed to the U.S. attracting missiles.
Commander Davidson said, “Missile defense alone cannot sufficiently deter potential enemies.”
He said, “Missile defense is the most difficult thing,” he said. “Even if I’m the baseball team manager and I can play the best defense in the world, I can’t win the game if I don’t score a goal.”