U.S. urges Japan and South Korea to speak out on China

WASHINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday
urged Japan and South Korea to speak out against China's
treatment of minority Muslims and its actions toward Hong Kong
and Taiwan, despite their trading relationships with Beijing.
The unusually blunt comments directed at close U.S. allies
came from Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary for Korea and
Japan, as Tokyo and Seoul were set to join 13 other Asia Pacific
economies this weekend in signing a China-backed Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which could become
the world's largest free trade agreement. Knapper also stressed the importance of South Korea, Japan,
Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries working with the United
States and each other to ensure their citizens' data was
protected from China.
Speaking from Seoul at an online event hosted by the
Brookings Institution think tank, Knapper said Washington
understood Japan and South Korea had "very complex and nuanced
relationships" with China.
"Regardless of the fact that there are very important
trading relationships and others ... we all should be able to
stand up and speak out when we see bad behavior from China."
Knapper said Washington was not asking Japan and Korea to
"cut off or contain" China, but added: "We hope and expect that
Korea and Japan and others will stand up and speak out on behalf
of these things.
"It's the responsibility of countries like the United
States, countries like South Korea, countries like Japan, to
accept the responsibility of speaking out on behalf of
democracy, speaking out on behalf of freedom, because if we
don't, who will?"
A U.S.-China trade war and U.S. President Donald Trump's
"America First" retreat from predecessor Barack Obama's "pivot"
toward Asia have given impetus to complete the RCEP, which is
widely seen as Beijing's chance to set a regional trade agenda.
Democrat Joe Biden's U.S. election win could challenge that,
with the former vice president signaling a return to stronger
U.S. multilateralism, although moves on trade are not expected
to be his first priority.