S. Korea, Australia find U.S. re-balancing contributing to regional peace, stability

The top diplomats and defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia on Friday explicitly supported the United States` Asia policy.

South Korea`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed a joint statement adopted at Friday`s security talks between Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Defense Minister Han Min-koo and their Australian counterparts, Julie Bishop and Kevin Andrews, in Sydney. The fifth point of the statement mentioned the U.S. policy, saying that the ministers of the two countries recognized that Washington`s re-balancing policy is contributing to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

The mention of the U.S. re-balancing in Asia was not included in the joint press statement released after the first South Korea-Australia high-level security talks in July 2013. Some observers say that the latest statement is a reaction against the view that Seoul was leaning towards China following President Park Geun-hye`s visit to Beijing early this month.

The 2+2 meeting between South Korea and Australia was the first security talks that Seoul had with another U.S. ally since Park`s attendance at Beijing`s September 3 military parade celebrating its victory in the World War II. Washington`s Asia re-balancing policy, also called "pivot to Asia," refers to the United States` measures to move the pivot of its military and diplomatic capabilities concentrated on Europe to Asia, implying the Obama administration`s policy of checking China.

Also in the joint statement, Seoul and Canberra have "reaffirmed the importance of Australia-ROK-United States trilateral defense cooperation, and decided to explore opportunities to increase this." The ministers also adopted a "blueprint" on defense and security cooperation that was also not mentioned at the 2013 meeting. Australia hosts a U.S. military base where U.S. troops are stationed in rotation and conduct exercises. The base is under the U.S. Pacific Command, which also commands the U.S. Forces Korea. The United States` basic idea is to check China with a military defense line linking the Korean Peninsula, Japan and Australia. The joint statement could be interpreted as Seoul`s participation in the U.S. military check against China.

"Both South Korea and Australia have foreign and defense ministers` talks with the U.S.," Seoul`s foreign ministry said. "The latest statement is an announcement that Seoul and Canberra has common grounds."