In recent days, Western movements in East Asia have markedly increased. The Philippines has signed a security and defense dialogue agreement with the European Union, while the United Kingdom has formalized a defense cooperation framework with Manila. The British foreign secretary labeled China’s activities in the South China Sea as “dangerous and destabilizing.” The Philippines has also signed defense agreements with Germany and is seeking reciprocal military access agreements with Canada, France, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, in the final phase of the Biden administration, the United States has pledged $500 million in military and coast guard aid to the Philippines. Four new military bases in the country are being made available to the U.S. military to exert greater pressure on China.
Japan’s Defense Budget Surge and Formation of Strategic Alliances
Japan, a key ally of the U.S. and the West, has increased its defense budget for the 2025 fiscal year to 8.7 trillion yen (approximately $55 billion), with plans to raise it to 10 trillion yen (about $63 billion) within the next two years. This move positions Tokyo as the third-largest military spender in the world, after the United States and China. Additionally, Japan and the European Union have deepened their security and military cooperation under a “Competitiveness Partnership.”
Joint security meetings and defense agreements between Japan, South Korea, and the EU are among the key indicators of the West’s growing military convergence in the region. At the Shangri-La Dialogue, the U.S. Secretary of Defense warned that China poses an imminent threat and called on allies to allocate greater defense spending.
Ukraine Playbook in East Asia: Containment of China as a Strategic Priority
With an intense focus on containing China, the West appears to be replicating in East Asia the same strategy it deployed in Ukraine against Russia. This playbook involves provoking Taiwan and militarily strengthening China’s neighbors—namely South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
Comprehensive sanctions against China and its allied states such as Russia and Iran, fomenting tensions in Pakistan and Afghanistan, fueling the India-Pakistan conflict, and military maneuvers in the Arctic and Greenland are all part of the West’s broader strategy to curb China's rise. These policies not only heighten regional tensions but also push East Asia’s economy toward crisis and weaken economic cooperation.
Trapping East Asia in an Arms Race and Economic Crisis
While the West grapples with internal economic challenges, its dominant strategy is to escalate the arms race in East Asia.
This approach—rooted in creating insecurity and economic erosion in the region—funnels billions of dollars into Western arms industries. At the same time, major corporations, deterred by instability and heavy defense spending, are shifting investments from East Asia to Europe and the U.S. This not only undermines the region’s economic strength but also sets the stage for reduced political and military independence among East Asian nations. A clear example is the presence of tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Japan and South Korea, which has led to near-total military and political dependence on the West. This Western strategy has visibly weakened these countries and trapped them in a cycle of dependence and conflict—much like the fate that befell Ukraine.
NOURNEWS