Page 16 - 2020 Defence White Paper

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