[Global Issue+] The US Mentioned 'China' and 'Nuclear' on Japan's Victory over Japan Day

"China and Russia Threaten Post-WWII Established International Order"
Micronesia, the Frontline of US-China Conflict in WWII Battlegrounds

On the 2nd (local time), Mark Esper, U.S. Secretary of Defense, delivering a Victory over Japan Day speech at the USS Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
[Image source=U.S. Department of Defense]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] From late August to September 2nd each year, during the week known in the United States as Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day), Mark Esper, U.S. Secretary of Defense, made successive visits to islands across Micronesia, including Hawaii, Guam, and Palau. At every stop, Secretary Esper emphasized 'cooperation to contain China.' He stressed that just as Imperial Japan threatened the world order during World War II, today China is threatening the global order, and the entire Asia-Pacific region must unite to counter China's challenge. In line with this, the U.S. Department of Defense submitted a report to Congress warning that China's nuclear capabilities are significantly expanding. This is a meaningful development amid the intensifying South China Sea disputes between the U.S. and China.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, on the 2nd (local time), Secretary Esper delivered a speech at the Missouri Memorial located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, commemorating the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day. Secretary Esper stated, "Russia and China are two countries threatening the international order that has led to peace and prosperity over the past 75 years since the war. Ironically, these two countries suffered over 45 million deaths during World War II and have been the greatest beneficiaries of the postwar international order." He emphasized, "To protect the hard-won international order, the United States is striving to build alliances with a broader range of partners."

In particular, Secretary Esper stressed that countries across the Asia-Pacific must join efforts to contain China. He said, "The United States is working to strengthen ties with long-standing allies such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore," and added, "We call on all regional countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania?countries that benefit greatly from the current international order?to participate in these efforts."

Earlier last month, Secretary Esper made an official visit to the Republic of Palau, marking the first time a U.S. Secretary of Defense has done so. Palau is a small island nation east of the Philippines, one of the small islands in the Pacific commonly referred to as Micronesia. Its population is only about 20,000. The visit by the U.S. Secretary of Defense to such a small island became a significant international issue. This was because in September last year, Secretary Esper had expressed a desire to establish missile bases targeting China in Palau and Guam. If the U.S. were to build missile bases there, the entire South China Sea region would fall within missile range.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

These Micronesian islands were geopolitically very important during World War II. Originally Spanish colonies, these islands became German territories after Spain sold them to Germany following the 1898 war between the U.S. and Spain, in which the U.S. took the Philippines. Later, during World War I in 1914, Japan seized them from Germany and militarized them, calling them the South Seas Mandate. Before the Pearl Harbor attack, most of Japan's naval forces were stationed on these islands.

During Japan's defeat, the U.S. gradually took control of these islands, establishing a foothold for striking the Japanese mainland. The atomic bomb operation that dealt a decisive blow to Japan began in Micronesia. The bomber that dropped the atomic bomb took off from Tinian, an island in the Northern Mariana Islands, part of Micronesia. From the U.S. perspective, the enemy has now shifted from Imperial Japan to China.

According to the U.S. political media outlet Politico, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Trump administration are making every effort to contain China. Their goal is to involve all countries, regardless of distance or size, in expanding alliances or partnerships worldwide.

The U.S. Department of Defense submitted the '2020 China Military Power Report' to Congress the day before Victory over Japan Day, emphasizing that China possesses at least 200 nuclear weapons and has the capability to double its military strength annually. This has further fueled the growing threat narrative against China in U.S. political circles.

Amid the already intensifying South China Sea disputes between the U.S. and China, not only these two countries but the entire Southeast Asian region is on high alert. While a full-scale war between the two powers is unlikely, accidental localized conflicts in the South China Sea could easily occur. The recent close-quarters combat and bloodshed between soldiers in the China-India border area have also heightened concerns about localized conflicts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.