The U.S.-China Strategic Competition and QUAD

KIM Jungsup

Senior Research Fellow,

The Sejong Institute

jungsupkim@sejong.org

English Abstract

On October 6, 2020, QUAD Foreign Ministers Meeting was held in Tokyo amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the meeting, the foreign ministers of the United States, Japan, Australia and India raised concerns about China. In the midst of the U.S.-China strategic competition, how should South Korea position itself? South Korea must prepare the rise of China by cooperating with the U.S. and other allies. However, at the same time, it must be cautious about leaning toward an explicit anti-China stance but rather maintain a soft balance between the two. For South Korea’s national interest, it is not an option to choose one over the other. Now, strong diplomatic skills to make strategic judgment that goes beyond a simple selection between the U.S. and China and to explain such decision to both countries is imperative.