Page 16 - 2020 Defence White Paper
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Section


                               2       Security Environment of

                                       Northeast Asia


                            Amid the deepening strategic competition between the US and China in Northeast
                            Asia following the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Russia are strengthening strategic
                            solidarity while countries including Japan are continuously strengthening military power
                            and expanding their influence. Such security environment coupled with COVID-19 and
                            the Korean Peninsula denuclearization variable is increasing the fluidity and uncertainty
                            of the regional security structure.






                            1. Regional Security Situation


                            While the strategic competition and conflict between the US and China are
                            expanding to the political, economic, and military areas, uncertainty in Northeast
                            Asia is also growing due to the dynamics between the US, China, Japan, and Russia.
                            In particular, tensions in the region are escalating further due to the global spread of
                            COVID-19 and military activities of the US and China in the South China Sea.
                             Under the policy "peace through strength", the US classified China and Russia as
                            "Revisionist Power" in its National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense
                            Strategy (NDS), and officially declared its intention to commit to a long-term,

                            strategic competition with them. And based on the Indo-Pacific Strategy, the US is
                            strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation with countries in the region. In
                            particular, the US is continuously expanding its investment in force modernization
                            and readiness posture enhancements to include the reinforcement of forces deployed
                            in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening of conventional forces, modernization of
                            nuclear deterrence capabilities, and the bolstering of missile defense capabilities in
                            the US mainland by continuously increasing its defense budget.
        12)
        "Xiaokang shehui"    During the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October
        is a stage of social
        development in China   2017, China, as a road map to realize the Chinese dream, presented the goals
        that is supposed to follow
        the stage of "wenbao,"   of modernizing socialism based on a moderately prosperous society (xiaokang
        meaning warmness and
                                  12)
        fullness. While "wenbao"   shehui)  between 2020 and 2035 and a full-scale construction of a socialist
        is about meeting the
        basic needs of citizens,   powerhouse by "fostering a strong world-class force" by 2050. It is expected to set
        "xiaokang sheshui" refers
        to a middle-class society in   out a foreign policy to establish a new international order led by China based on the
        which its members are able
        to enjoy culture and leisure.  "community of common destiny". In September 2020, China declared to its people



        14    2020 Defense White Paper
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