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Maria Siow

Washington’s abrupt pivot from championing Japan and South Korea as essential Indo-Pacific allies to slapping them with steep tariffs has not only rattled markets – it risks nudging both nations closer to economic alignment with China.
Last week, the United States emphasised the importance of the US-Japan alliance for securing a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Washington called Japan an “indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression”, and announced that it would upgrade the US military command in Japan to a new “war-fighting headquarters”.
However, this week, the US imposed a 24 per cent levy on Japanese goods, driving the Nikkei share average to an eight-month low on Thursday.
Japan’s Trade Minister Yoji Muto called the tariffs “extremely regrettable”, and said Tokyo would seek an exemption while evaluating their effects on the domestic economy and “do our best to take necessary steps”.
South Korea, another important Asian security ally, was slapped with an equally hefty 25 per cent tariff.


The move came just days after the revelation of an alleged secret Pentagon memo aimed at deterring mainland China from seizing Taiwan.
In this context, the memo proposed a shift in the primary mission of 28,500 US Forces Korea troops, redirecting their focus from countering threats from North Korea to addressing the growing concerns posed by China.
As a result of the tariffs, South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI stock index fell by 2.7 per cent, hitting a three-month low during early trading on Thursday. In response, South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo called for discussions with Washington and ordered emergency support measures for businesses.
The tariffs imposed on America’s staunchest security allies and the resulting trade war are likely to drive these countries toward a closer economic embrace with Beijing.
Over the weekend, a trilateral meeting of economic ministers saw China – facing a 34 per cent tariff – reportedly reach a consensus with Japan and South Korea to collectively respond to US tariffs.
Japan and South Korea are seeking to import semiconductor raw materials from China, while Beijing is interested in purchasing chip products from its neighbours, according to a social media account affiliated with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
All three sides also agreed to strengthen supply chain cooperation, engage in more dialogue on export controls and deepen collaboration in the digital and green economies, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The three East Asian countries also agreed to resume negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) that has been on hold since 2019, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The move came amid Tokyo’s recent efforts to reduce its economic dependence on China, including banning Huawei Technologies from domestic networks and restricting exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China.
South Korea has also been working to decrease its reliance on Chinese imports for key materials, aiming to bring that figure down from 70 per cent to below 50 per cent by 2030.
While these changes are not irreversible, they could be influenced by the potential benefits of the FTA that China is offering.
The advantages of the “high-level” FTA included less trade protectionism, improved competitiveness, stronger supply chain resilience, and growth opportunities in emerging industries, according to China’s nationalistic tabloid, The Global Times.
“The China-Japan-South Korea FTA is poised to further facilitate the creation of a vast consumer market among these three nations, whose combined GDP reportedly accounts for around 25 per cent of the global economy,” the tabloid added.
While Japan and South Korea are likely to tread cautiously on closer economic integration with China, it is up to the US to clarify whether these tariffs will be a permanent fixture of the Donald Trump administration.
More importantly, if Washington expects Tokyo and Seoul to serve as long-term security bulwarks against China’s rise, it must draw a clearer distinction between trusted allies and mere economic partners.


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Japan

Trump’s tariffs risk pushing Japan and South Korea closer to China’s economic orbit

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order on the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” on trading partners. Photo: Xinhua

South Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (centre) poses with Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left) and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a meeting in Seoul on March 30. Photo: AFP

India’s early moves to shield from Trump’s global tariffs may pay off

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in the Oval Office in February. Photo: TNS

Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese, India’s PM Narendra Modi, then US President Joe Biden and then Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida, at the Quad leaders summit in the US last year. Photo: AP

A Harley Davidson dealership in Littleton, Colorado. The US motorcycle brand was one of the beneficiaries of India’s lower import tariffs. Photo: AP

In a broken world, China-Japan-Korea cooperation is Asia’s backbone

From the left, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya join hands at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on March 21. Photo: Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi smile before the Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue in Tokyo on March 22. Photo: Pool via Reuters

Members of the Korean girl group IVE meet fans in China at an event in Shanghai on March 20. Photo: IVE

Tourists walk past shops and restaurants in the popular Shinsekai district of Osaka, with the Tsutenkaku Tower looming behind, on February 24. Photo: AFP

‘Malicious’ Japan TV interview claiming Chinese eat crows ruffles feathers in China

A crow caws from an overhead power line. Photo: dpa

Roasted pigeon is a considered a Chinese culinary classic. Photo: Joanne Yau

A screenshot of the interviewee’s post about being misquoted Japanese Nippon TV. Photo: Weibo/咚咚咚樱酱

As Trump turns world order on its head, can China, Japan, South Korea shape global future?

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second left) with (from left) foreign ministers Cho Tae-yul of South Korea,  Wang Yi of China and Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya, ahead of their meeting at the prime minister’s official residence, in Tokyo on March 21. Photo: AFP

This Week in Asia

Opinion

Asia Opinion

Despite recent US efforts to strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances, Washington’s tariffs may drive Tokyo and Seoul towards closer economic ties with China


Despite recent US efforts to strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances, Washington’s tariffs may drive Tokyo and Seoul towards closer economic ties with China.


South Korea

Donald Trump

United States

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

My Take

My Take | Trump’s tariffs risk pushing Japan and South Korea closer to China’s economic orbit

Despite recent US efforts to strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances, Washington’s tariffs may drive Tokyo and Seoul towards closer economic ties with China

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