The Chinese government is strengthening its geopolitical influence in East Asia through a policy of "get something done" diplomacy and maritime expansion based on its rapid economic growth. The United States is also strengthening its East Asia pivot strategy to contain and encircle China with its strong military and political power. At present, the military competition and confrontation between the two countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula, is intensifying. The United States is expanding its encirclement of China by strengthening military alliances with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Australia, and increasing military cooperation with Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand and India. In response to the United States, China is strengthening its military cooperation with Russia and promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
The United States has played a leading role as a coastal balancing power in the region, exerting strong political influence through cooperation with allies in East Asia. East Asian countries also rely on the United States to resolve problems between regional countries. Although South Korea, Japan and other countries have close economic ties with China, they rely on the United States for political and security issues. Korea and Japan cannot fundamentally avoid the United States, and they try to solve the problems that arise in the region by borrowing the influence of the United States. Therefore, the United States is demonstrating its strong political influence and military mobilisation capabilities in East Asia. Since President Obama took office, the United States has rapidly expanded its influence on issues arising from the Cheonan sinking, the China-Japan ship collision, and the South China Sea and East China Sea.
In particular, since President Obama took office, there have been major changes in the global strategy, which has been adjusted to continue the East-West strategy promoted by the Clinton and Bush administrations. In this process, the United States, which emphasises naval power and power balance strategy, is expressing its active participation in organisations and institutions to strengthen its partnership with regional allies and emerging powers, as the US-led power order in the Asia-Pacific region collides with China's maritime expansion and containment policy. Such strategic adjustments by the United States could complicate relations with China. US Secretary of State John Kerry also said on 18 March 2013 that the US would shift its foreign policy focus to the Asia-Pacific region and adhere to the "pivot to Asia" policy. "I want to be seen as a man who is practically married to Asia," Kerry said in a press conference after meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, indicating that he would continue the "Asia-first" policy of his predecessor, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He also said, "I disagree with the idea that the term 'pivot' means moving from one place to another," and that the United States was not shifting to other regions at the expense of relations with regions such as Europe and the Middle East. Secretary of State John Kerry also said: "Like his predecessor, I believe that the East Asia policy is deeply engaged".
In response to the US East Asia strategy, China's Xi Jinping also became president, and on 22 March 2013 he chose Russia as his first destination, holding a summit with President Putin to strengthen the strategic partnership under the motto of "reviewing the Asia-Pacific strategy, mutually supporting territorial sovereignty, and enhancing economic cooperation". The leaders of China and Russia agreed to play an important role in the region and in world peace and security, so as to establish a harmonious relationship of coexistence between the two major powers. In particular, based on the historical experience of building a new great power relationship, we feel responsible for world peace and the future of mankind, and call on the international community to promote peace and stability based on the principles of mutual equality, mutual inclusiveness and cooperation for common prosperity. They also agreed to support each other's positions on sovereignty and territorial issues and to respect the diversity of world civilisations and the characteristics of national development. This is an affirmation of mutual cooperation in the midst of China's territorial dispute with Japan over the Diaoyu Islands (Japanese name: Senkaku Islands) and Russia's territorial dispute with Japan over the four Kuril Islands (Japanese name: Northern Territories).
China's rise in East Asia has broken the link between the economic and security orders. This means that there is a regional economic order centred on China, but there is also a US-centred security order. The United States and China pursue their interests in the region in different ways, and they play important, irreplaceable roles in the regional order. However, some countries in the region feel threatened by China's rapid rise as a military power and hope that the United States will shift its strategic centre to the region and contain China on their behalf. These countries are pursuing a two-sided policy of economic dependence on China and security dependence on the United States. The Chinese government is therefore stepping up its policy of inclusive delay, first unifying the politics and economies of neighbouring Asian countries through maritime expansion. The United States is moving its military forces to East Asia, predicting that China's maritime expansion will eventually extend to the Pacific Ocean, and is strengthening regional alliances with China's neighbours as well as with Japan to contain China. The US is indirectly supporting Japan in the dispute over the Diaoyu(Senkaku) Islands, and militar y tensions in East Asia are rising along with the North Korean nuclear issue.
