Trust Japan & South Korea at Your Own Peril!!

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends. So excited to be with you today. We got a— I got a great, great topic that I needed to address that falls within, uh, the realm of my academic background, especially when it comes down to international security. And this one has to do, of course, with the three main players in Asia. China, Japan, and South Korea. Well, South Korea and Japan, we will say, we will, we will see how much a role do they play into being a very important country. But anyway, this is what I am going to be talking about today. But before I'll do all that, like I always do, I like to extend my sincere thanks to all of you for your continued support. And for you, if this is your first time, please make sure to subscribe. That's the only way you can support this channel. Uh, you know how it works. I like to give a shout out to two new members, uh, uh, supporter by the name WHK who rejoined the channel, uh, membership. 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Yeah, here is the link to the channel, health channel. So it's, uh, I'm gonna change all this later on because I know it's hard for people to, uh, but I have a link for you in the description. So anyway, I don't want you worry about all this. All right, let's, uh, let's get on into our topic here. Uh, first of all, let me see how many of you here. Oh, oh, oh, oh, let me say thank you first to Osiris. Great, once again, for your continued support. It means a lot, and I truly appreciate your continued support. Thank you so much, Osiris. I also would like to give a shout out to, oh, Jelena Jones. Uh, you, you've been an avid supporter, uh, Jelena. I truly appreciate it, and thank you so much for all your comments. I truly appreciate it. I also like to give a shout out also to Haiti. Haiti Luquel, he's a, he's a channel member, so thank you for your continued support, Haiti. Truly appreciate it. So, uh, William N, thank you for being here as well. Loio, good to have you here. Truly appreciate it. Uh, those are some familiar names that I am very, very, very familiar. Lily Rose, thank you so much for your comments. I always read the comments you, you post, so I appreciate it. So to all of you, uh, oh, I like this screen name here. It's a Time for Multipolar World. Couldn't agree more. I like that screen name. Thank you for being here. Uh, Seymour Fact, thank you for being here. Truly appreciate it. So, all right guys, let's, let's get in into our conversation because it's a very, very multifaceted topic, very complicated, and we have to decipher Few things. And again, of course, even one-hour conversation won't be enough to cover because it's an entangled historical, uh, facts on both ends, on the political front but also on the military front. And I am gonna— because we can't shy away from not disclosing the atrocities Japan has committed in China, and I'm gonna get into that without— of course, guys, we, we beyond that pointing fingers and all that stuff. But we present the facts as, as they are. It's no different than what, for example, our government did to the indigenous people in India— in the Indian indigenous people here in the US. It's no different than what Australia did to the Aborigines people. So, but facts are facts. You can, you can hide away from that one. So, so here's the 3 questions we're going to start the conversation with, you know. Is this China's initiative, is this considered the last attempt by China at diplomacy? What do you think? You know, I like to have your feedback on this stuff, guys. Once again, do you think China's initiative is considered the last attempt by China at diplomacy? Second question we need to consider: is this aimed at unity in Asia by China initiating that. The question becomes, well, who's going to take the lead on, on that unity? Well, of course, who's the biggest economy in the region? So it's common sense that will be China. That just, uh, it's a fact. So, but the question we need to ask is, is this aimed at the unity in Asia? Is China aiming at uniting Asia together? Because it's a fair question. And the third question, because we can't think of it just from a diplomatic aspect or political aspect, we have to think about it from a security aspect of it. Because I remember when I was doing my graduate programs, one of the courses I remember having, it was with my former professor, Dr. Larry Hefford, wonderful guy, by the way. We had to study about Asian security issues. All the security matters. No, and this now became relevant in this time because the question is, China concerned now that Philippines expanded its military, uh, ties with the US? Especially they are at the time of this recording conducting a joint military, uh, or naval exercises with the US and other allies. So could China be calculating that, oh, we saw now how Philippines flipped. Is still time? Is there time to save that? But reaching out to Japan and South Korea, those are just questions that we ought to ask. And this is what we're going to be addressing today. And if you will be kind and just put your answer in the— because we're going to go through. And today, by the way, I'm gonna take some questions from you guys, so please prepare your question for later on. So, uh, now here is one thing I want to test your knowledge on. So not to put you on the spot here, by the way. So today is October 6th, you know. What the— what happened, you know, on October 6th, 1973? I know you can Google it and all that, but just on the top of your head, what do you think happened? If anybody can type it. So, so, all right, let's, uh, let's move on here with what we're going to be covering about. And by the way, I did some research on all this, and, and like what, uh, uh, what's the screen name, Linda Gonzalez put, and I'll share it with you guys, you know, uh, she said, as a fan of yours, I'd like to subscribe to all your analysis as you are one of the most credible person out there. You cut through all the lies and propaganda and always inform yourself with in-depth research before discussing a topic, providing your audience with facts and evidence. Your channels are indispensable for the truth. Wow, that's so kind of you. Thank you so much for your kind words, but it's the truth, you know. I, I conduct research. I do a lot of work behind the scenes before I show up here. Because there's two things that I believe in, and, and I look at it not just for this channel but for you as a human being. You know, if you don't know the truth, don't say it. If you know it's wrong, don't do it. Straightforward. So, and that's what I intend to do, not only with this channel, with the other channels, with the Geopolitics in Conflict, with with the Hell Channel. It's all about the knowledge because truth matters. So, so thank you so much for that. And yes, I do conduct a lot of research before I'll come on the air to share the knowledge with you. So, so let's start here with a brief history because the history is so complicated, as I mentioned. But you can't do this without understanding at least the foundation of where things are. Well, as an academician, you know, usually you do a lot of reading, a lot of research for either the you know, the books I write, or even for my doctoral thesis and so forth, you have to do a lot of research. That's just part of it. So what I came across, and not just recently, but I was aware of it because when I did Asia studies, I have to look at different, different analyses, different research, different, and see the contemporary history as you move forward. So, well, there is one that I came across, and I will put the link for you in the description. Uh, it was, it was a book written by, uh, uh, some, by, uh, uh, by Kiyoshi Matsumoto, of Japanese descent. But what's interesting about him, that he lived in, in Australia, in Western Europe, and in the US. So why is this important? Because being exposed to other cultures and yet place it, place the history of Japan within the proper context. So, so there's a book out there, and I read up a little bit of his analysis about this, and I found it very accurate, and I wanted to share it with you. So, so here's the thing. You think about the geography of it as part of the history, and I'm going to share some images with you, and mainly is maps here. So by the way, here is what we're going to be talking about today for those who might be just joining me up. This is the diplomats from the three countries: South Korea, Japan, and the US. And I think the US and China. China, they are meeting, uh, this is during a meeting in Seoul in preparation for the foreign ministers or prime ministers. Then after that, it will be for the heads of Japan, South Korea, and China. Uh, this is an old, uh, picture. But what was interesting about this, what's interesting about it is that the title of this article— and by the way, it was written uh, in their national interest. Uh, I, I kind of was worried about the title, and here's what the title say. Let me, let me share the screen with you so you see it. Share screen. Here we go. South Korea and Japan have more in common than they think. Ah. And they put in bracket, like, the challenge to China. So, well, I do find it a little bit, uh, not concerning, but it's not an accurate description. And the reason being— oh, let me add this one here for you guys so you can see. It is— that's the title: South Korea and Japan Have More in Common Than They Think. Well, Isn't that the same argument 1E made, that 3 countries— Japan, South Korea, and China— they are almost all alike? Of course, culturally there are differences, socially there are differences, but as far as the where they are, and yet one country or two countries want to align with the West. This is like almost the case of Australia, that look where Australia is located, And yet he wanted— never wanted to be identified with Asia, you know. I don't know, are they ashamed of being part of Asia? I don't know. But always wanted to identify with the Anglo or the West, for that matter. It's no different than South Korea and Japan. And this is exactly what's the point that Mr. Hwang Yi has made back then. So, so the history, when you look at the narrow strait of the Korea, uh, here is the map. I'm gonna leave this here for you guys just to— as I discuss, uh, the history but also certain part of the geography. So with the narrow strait of Korea and the East China Sea separating, you can put this as far as the relations between Japan and China. You know, it's almost as the author, uh, uh, Kiyoshi Matsumoto puts it, and it was a nice description. Like two siblings over several thousand years. Well, I don't know how the Chinese gonna feel about the sibling that have really committed horrific atrocities. How could they forget this? There are those who argue also that, well, Japan needs to come forward with an apology. The question is, will the Chinese accept the apology? I, I don't know. I can't answer for the Chinese, and I cannot— I can't speak for the Japanese either. Whether they will be willing to officially do that. But for now, we focus on this. So, so the older and a larger Chinese civilization has both greatly influenced and intimidated its younger rival for much of their history. And only in recent centuries that the shoe has been placed on the other's foot. And Japan's ascendancy And aggression, though brief, was swift and cruel. And this is according to Kiyoshi Matsumoto. And that's why I wanted to share with you, because it's an accurate description. You know, he's not taking side, he's provide— this is what a, a good author does, this is what a good analyst does. You, you don't take sides here, you provide the arguments objectively, and you let the viewers decides. So, so Japan maintains mixed and sometimes infrequent relations with China's various dynasties. That's why the old history matters, you know. In fact, in the first millennium AD, China strongly influenced Japan with its writing system, architecture, culture, religion, philosophy, and law. And move forward to 13th century, China's Mongol Dynasty attempted invasion without success and forced Japan into isolation until it was— it wasn't until Western nations forced Japan to, uh, to open trade in the mid of 19th century that Japan started to look outward with the policy of expansion. This is where the danger was at the time. So Japan's Meiji Restoration and move towards modernization was a direct result of its horror at seeing the subjugation of China, but by these Western powers from 1840 onward. Onward means to 1945. It also spawned a level of contempt by Japan for China's incredible weakness in the face of Western technology and, and, and lead to a long chain of invasions and war crimes by Japan in China between 1894 and 1945. This in turn has created a very mixed feeling of remorse within modern Japan that still greatly affect current Sino-Japanese relations. This is what's interesting about this, to understand it, because it's very important. So you look at also the other aspects, uh, from, uh, the historical war. Now, when we talked about the first one, the historical aspects of the the, the, the, the, uh, what's the word I'm looking for, the current political landscape, not the current, the political landscape back then. Now you move into the historical wars because even the wars and the conflicts that took place in that part of the world has, they have their own history. And I figured it makes more sense if I can share with you a brief synopsis of that historical wars so to put things in perspective for us to realize Or to answer our first question, is this China's last attempt at diplomacy with South Korea and Japan? So if we look at the historical wars, what are we looking at? The early 20th century when Imperial Japan ambitions resulted in occupations across Southeast Asia and East Asia, including China. Of course, atrocities, uh, and those are documented here, so we don't, we don't just, uh, uh, uh, just point fingers with no— no, those are documented, so we're gonna state them as they are. So atrocities after its invasion, meaning Japan's invasion in China in 1930s, included rape and Nankin, a period of mass murder and rape committed by Japanese soldiers took the city, as well as torture, sexual slavery, and human medical experiments. Now, the Sino-Japanese War, which was part of World War II, ended with Japanese military defeat, as you know, in 1945. Interesting enough is that the ties were restored with 1972 joint communiqué in which China renounced its demand— and I put this in quote, guys, because I found it in the historical record this way, it's not my word— its demand for war reparations from Japan, end of quote, to foster links between the two countries. But history remains a stumbling block in modern diplomacy, especially as the two tussle over regional influence. This is what's important to understand, this aspect of it. Let me share another map here because we need to see, uh, actually no, I'm gonna keep this one here. This is what's important to understand. So, and this is why I remember it was demonstrations in, uh, in, uh in Beijing. Protests, not demonstrations. They went— there were over 10,000 protesters in Beijing after Tokyo approved the revisionist textbooks in 2005. I remember this one here, hurling rock and eggs at the Japanese Embassy, because that was a sort of an insult to the surviving Chinese, especially the older generations. They never forget, and how could you? How could you? So old wounds also resurface when the nationalist Japanese politicians visit Tokyo's Yashokuni, or Yashokuni Shrine. Oh, you all know what it means because it commemorates— it commemorates, rather, senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after World War II. So, and this is why I remember the the statements by the Foreign Ministry of China at the time saying that these visits are, and I put this in quote, "serious provocations," end of quote, urging Tokyo to, in quote, "learn from history." So those are important. I even had to read, I had to read an analysis by an East Asian analyst specializes in this by the name of Richard McGregor, you know, no link to Colonel McGregor's here. So, and when he said, and I quote, the Japanese have been their own worst enemies on history issues, end of quote, he spun on. He added also, but this is due to Japanese government believe that China will never accept an apology and politicize the issue no matter what. So they got a point there. Still, Japan comes to a grip with that reality that, uh, you know, it takes more than just, you know, I'm sorry. Of course you have to mean it. And, and who's to say maybe Japanese, uh, I'm sorry, maybe the Chinese will be forgiven even though it's hard. It's hard for the atrocity. I read enough, you know. And again, I am not just pointing fingers at Japan here. We don't do that. We provide the objective, the argument objectively. So, so as I said, you look at the political landscape, you look at the historical, uh, uh, uh, facts, okay? But also you have to consider the territorial disputes. And why is this important? Let me bring that map back again, because— and, and this one, by the way, is not just between, uh, China and Japan or China-South Korea, but also Russia and Japan. And I will get into that as I move forward. For now, I wanted to keep this so you can see what I'm referring to here. What am I referring to here? So because the territorial is another point of contention, and those over the small islands in the East China Sea known as Senkaku— because Tokyo is saying that by the, uh, uh, uh, Man, I don't know how to pronounce it. Diaoyu, Diaoyu, by which Beijing is claiming. Delta, Delta or Diaoyu, one of the others. So the remote chain of islands has long fueled tensions and is the scene of regular confrontation between Japanese Coast Guard vessels and Chinese fishing boats. So why is this important? It is important to understand also that when you look at or try to assess or analyze an ongoing confrontation between countries, you have to look at all aspects of what's contributing to that conflict. So, because very, very important. Then there is the other issue which has to do with alliances. The US has been a staunch ally of Japan since World War II. Of course we nuked them, bombed them, and, and forced them to become an ally. So, so by— this is important because now you understand why Japan had to allow the presence of, uh, massive number of military troops on its territory. So, uh, yeah, this is one of the maps here, uh, but you can see this, this very, very small here. So, and this is where the issue among, uh, uh, the tensions rather in Asia, because with the presence of almost 50,000 US troops, let alone in none other than other Okinawa, which Okinawans do not see themselves as a part of Japan. And if you look at the history of Okinawa way back when it was a kingdom, if I'm not mistaken, and I remember asking, uh, uh, uh, Dr. Uh, Ken Hammond. He's a Chinese history, uh, expert, and, and I did mention that to him, uh, in, in my last interview with him, and he did mention indeed that it has always been throughout history, uh, uh, Okinawa was never part of Japan, it's taken over later on. So, so of course the presence of this massive number of troops is fueling China's concern, but it's also fueling tensions. And this is why you're seeing— and again, I feel comfortable saying, could it be that China, this is last attempt at diplomacy? So, so, and unlike the analyst McGregor said, you know, they, the Chinese, uh, uh, uh, or the Japanese rather, they simply do not trust China. So what make them think that China trust them? Or China also— that's why I put on the thumbnail, that was my, my message there, right there. Trusted? Question mark. Can they be trusted? Will you trust them? I'll let you answer that question, guys. So, uh, and here is what I found very interesting about one of part of the analysis that McGregor made, and I couldn't agree more with him. And I quote here, the tone of China's diplomatic relations with Japan is to some degree set by their relations with the US, end of quote. It's hard to see— another quote— it's hard to see how Japan-China relations can bounce back in any substantial form, end of quote. Spot on. Because where China is today is a reaction to where Japan vis-à-vis the United States, the expansion, and now adding South Korea to the mix. Well, China, of course, will have to have security concerns. Yes, China is strong. Yes, China— but it's beside that. In international affairs or on geopolitical domains, you always have to think in terms Yes, you do have to keep up your military capabilities just in case, but also you have to consider other options such as diplomacy, such as foreign affairs, such as international relations or bilateral relations with whatever country you might have a disagreement with. In addition, while at the same time you are ensuring your military capabilities. So China is not about fear, but rather the concern, in my opinion, where that's going to lead, the tensions if they ever emerged, where that's going to lead in that part of the world. And this is why I had to ask that question earlier, uh, where was it? Let me, let me remind you of that question. Yeah, is China concerned that the Philippines now flipped, moving forward with increasing its military ties to the— with the United States? And here is the example. This is, by the way, a recent image of Philippines naval exercises with the US and other allies. They never disclosed who the other allies are. I looked, didn't see. And usually I don't just believe in whatever written in an article. I, I have my ways of confirming the information before I say it. That's why I couldn't say which countries, but there were some other countries aligned or joined the naval exercises. Then you get the big elephant in a room within this context of history. Can anybody tell me what the other big elephant in a room is? Just think about the region. Think about the region. What is the other major issue that is there that could also fuel these tensions? Let me just, uh, you know, I want— because I would like you guys to be part of the conversation also. Yeah, I can talk, whatever, but that's beside— no, I don't like that. I like you to be part of it. So what do you think the other issue, the big elephant in the room— and I will call it that, I feel comfortable calling it that way. So let me just see if anybody can put that down or write it down. That is Uh, Vietnam? No, no, no, no, no, no. Uh, yeah, it takes time for it to show up here. Uh, Russia? No. Ah, you got it, you got it, you got it, you got it! No, no, no, not this one. It's right here, right here. You got it, Troy! You got it, it's Taiwan! It is Taiwan, because you cannot ignore that as far as being one of the reasons. Because why? Because Japan already made it clear that it will come to Taiwan's support. Well, how does Japan all of a sudden decide to support Taiwan if it weren't for the US pressuring Japan to do? Let alone that, uh, what's her name, Tsai. Based on my research I did find that she has some linkage to Japan ancestry-wise, maybe third, fourth, fifth generation back then. That's it. So this is why Taiwan is another flashpoint issue in this, in, within this context. So because we all know Taiwan is part of China, there is no, uh, mystery about this, even though now we are hearing here in the US those new presidential candidates, which are idiots, already, already talking about what we're gonna have to support Taiwan or not. You can just see, you can just see where the narrative is headed. It's like some others are saying China, China, China, China. We all know what it means. Every citizen here in the US doesn't understand this dynamics because they don't even understand the history of that part of the world, let alone where they are even located. No offense to my fellow Americans here. So we all know historically that, uh, Taiwan is part of China. And here is the thing, as I said, I digged into some, uh, images. Those are from old history, and I'm going to share them with you right here. Let me show you the first picture. This first picture, this is Kim Ju, second from left, and Korean revolutionary leaders bidding farewell to Chiang Kai-shek, who was standing— that's the guy standing there— in Chongqing before leaving, or going home as they say, November 1944. Yeah. Okay, let me share another picture that I had to dig into the archives here to show you, because you need to understand this. It's very important, guys. So this way you will be well informed if you ever have a conversation. People, you know, just parroting whatever, you know, you'll be at least ahead of the game. So this image you are looking at, that's Japanese troops entering Seoul. City during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. And I will talk about Russia soon. And we have the third picture right here. This image here is Japanese troops executing Korean anti-Japanese elements during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. Why? So this is very important to understand. And this is why when you think about the big elephant in the room, that means Taiwan, you're gonna have to— you can't ignore that one. So, and this is why you look at where Japan's, uh, uh, even though here is what I found very— it's, it's identical to our policy. This is why I'm saying Japan didn't do this, uh, uh, on the whim of its wishes. Well, I bet you it was pressured by the United States. And why am I saying this? And here's where the identical positions in Tokyo and in Washington regarding Taiwan vis-à-vis China— you know what the identical positions are? Is that both locations meaning Japan and the United States recognize Beijing's One China policy on Taiwan. Tokyo recognized this, Washington recognized this as well, and yet what they are saying versus what they are doing is the opposite. So, because here is what Japan is thinking And this is based on the analysis that McGregor made. Quote, Japan is exceptionally worried— always pay attention, guys, to wording— Japan is exceptionally worried about what's happening in Taiwan, and that's a big driver of just about everything in the region nowadays. This is what McGregor, uh, said in his analysis, adding that, that Taipei and Tokyo share close relations. What relations are we talking about here? Historical ones. Now you see why Japan made the statements that it will come to the aid of Taiwan in case— which we all know Japan will be, uh, uh, Yeah, it will be bad. It will— let me, let me just put it this way, without— it will be bad for, uh, for Japan. I'm trying to get, uh, one particular, uh, part about Russia and Japan because you can't ignore that either. It's very, very important. And what's important about it, when you look at the geography of Russia. And let me share one image with you here, if I do have— no, I don't have it yet. Let me put it up for you guys because you need to see, because that captured the, uh, what the issue is all about between Japan and, uh, Russia. All right, here is the picture coming up. There we go. So it's important. So when you look at the, the, the— since the end of the Soviet Union, 1991. So, uh, you look at the geography of Russia, where Russia of course located in the eastern, northeastern part of Europe and north, northern part of Asia. It is still, you know, the largest country in the world. That's not why we are important. Why we are important is the boundaries. Well, listen carefully. To the north, Russia shares boundaries with the Arctic Ocean. To the west, with Northern Pacific Ocean. To the south, with China, of course, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. And to the west, with the Black Sea. So with the Black Sea, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, Russia also— here is the keyword— Russia also share maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the US state of Alaska across the Bering Strait. Since Russia victory over Georgia a few years ago, Moscow recognized, of course, the two new bordering countries of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. That's not the point. It's about these islands right here, Kuril Islands. This is why Japan needs to also think. It cannot ignore Russia's role into all this. So, because Japan will be mistaken if they move forward thinking, oh, there is nothing to see there. That will be problematic. So, so let me just share now with you my own analysis, how I see all this is unfolding. Like I said, I feel comfortable saying this could be China's last effort at diplomacy with these two countries. Because the trust is not there. Of course, China has to think strategically. You'll be better off in cooperation than in conflict. That's just common sense. Let alone the philosophy of how the, the history of China has always been. You all remember Sun Tzu when he said, uh, how to defeat your enemy without firing a bullet or without firing a shot. Something like that. So that's part of what Confucius is all about. So, so could, could China be thinking in these terms? I think so. I think so. And I, my reasons for that is because it will be to the benefit of China that peace remain in the area. Because here is the thing, what other countries do not realize and understand— when I say other countries, who am I referring to? I'm referring to Philippines, South Korea, Japan, uh, Indonesia to a degree. Uh, now you gotta look at some islands in the, for example, the new guy in Maldives who just now aligning with China, but we already are working on something. Yeah, it's, it's, you know, my big concern in all this is that if, if another conflict emerge in that part of the world it's not going to be impacting, impacting rather just China. It'll impact everybody and it will be worse for other countries than it will be for China. This is what these countries do not realize and understand. So interesting enough is that the US has both economic ties with all countries in the region, but also has military alliances with both Japan and South Korea. So if both Japan and South Korea or entering into some sort of a treaty, because that's what a military alliance is. By allowing your forces, meaning our forces, on the Japanese territory or even in, in South Korean territory, what does it mean? That means there is a treaty of sort, you know. And becomes the question is that where the worries will surrender the entire area, everybody's gonna be impacted one way or another. There is also my own analysis in sort of— could also— this has to do with North Korea to a degree, because when you look at the map, when you look at the map, you look at where the North and the South is, right? There are those— I, I've read some analysis that says, well, if the US attacked North Korea Uh, no, no, ain't gonna happen. We can't. Yeah, I'll say it, we can't. It's not about military capability. We can't because we know what the outcome will be, and the outcome is going to be this part will be wiped out. Okay, this part will be wiped out. I'm pointing at it with my cursor, you can see it, meaning South Korea and Japan would be wiped out. One way or another. Yeah. So what do you think China's going to do? Will China just stand on the sideline and watch? I don't think so. Why do you think the trip of the North Korean leader to Russia was all about? And that's what I mentioned about the idea of having an alliance that includes 4 countries. China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. You all see where it's going. That is why I'm saying for those countries to be thinking in terms of this is what's going to happen. Now, we mentioned the relations between China and Japan. It behooves us also to mention the relations between China and South Korea. So it was till early '90s when the Chinese relations with South Korea were— because they were simple back then, but they were also hostile. Here is one fact which you don't hear much about. It's not reported on as much. And the fact is, is that the, uh, what, uh, I don't have his picture here, the head of, uh, South Korea, Yoon Seok-kyung, never talked about— let me remove this, uh, stop screen sharing— uh, never talked about how the economy in South Korea now is impacted. Samsung is having hard time economically because I think limited access to Chinese market. This is the same argument some have made when it comes down to Philippines. All China needs to do is shut down the trade with Philippines. We all know what's going to happen. I don't see China doing this because here's the thing: who's going to be end up being impacted? Not the elites, it's the average Filipino person. And will China want to be perceived as someone who does, or as a country that really harm the people? I don't think so. Yes, we do have some trade blockage with Australia, but in on a limited aspect. If really China would shut the door completely, it'd be over permanently for Australia. Little Luke is getting very, very bad in Australia. I just had one of my contacts in Australia just sent me some info yesterday where things are going in Australia as far as the housing market. And this individual, without disclosing names, consider even leaving Australia permanently because it's not worth living in anymore. So it will be the same in Philippines, and yet Philippines is going more in ratcheting up. So, and China's being patient. They are not— yeah, China could do that economically, just shut the door. And this is why you're seeing now some changes within the whole ASEAN countries. As a matter of fact, Malaysia is moving forward. Uh, I'm sure you heard about the SPY train that's been launched, but also about dumping the dollar. Same thing Iraq is about to do, and I'll do a video for you guys about that. Uh, so Philippines, because again I use the term trust, because when Marcos took over and won his first trip to China I was saying to myself, is this a good sign or what? Or is this misleading? Let's not jump to conclusion yet till we see exactly what it is. And here we are. Marcos, his trip to China was nothing but a window dressing because a week after that, signed treaty— signed the agreement with the US to expand military bases. So the trust issue— could this be applied to Japan and South Korea? And many will say yes, it could. So, so here's the thing: South Korea has been used as a pawn because we pushing— because in case of a conflict, let me, let me put this on the record— in case of a conflict, it's going to be Japan South Korea, Philippines at the front line, not the US troops. And even if Taiwan is involved, it will be some of the Taiwanese who are in support of this so-called independence. Independence for what? Which it would never happen anyway. It's wishful thinking. So, and this is where Uh, sort of why it was the simplicity of the relationship between South Korea and Japan— and I'm sorry, and China— but also it was the hostility. And why was the hostility? Because China was supporting North Korea. And that's how it is, you know. You can't dictate to countries what to— whom they want to do business with. Yeah, South Korea wants to do business with US, more power to them as long as they understand the consequences of it. Simple as that. So, and because South Korea won't be able to defend itself, you know, if North Korea launches its barrage of missiles, Seoul will be over, will be wiped out. US troops will be wiped out. And once we start having body bags coming to the back home, trust me, American people will, will, will, will get to on the streets for that. Same thing that happens in Vietnam, even though the administration of LBJ at the time, Lyndon B. Johnson, was lying about the— how the war was going. And we all know what happened in Vietnam and Cambodia. So by the early of the 21st century, relations between South Korea and Japan sort of, sort of warmed up. To the point that US officials worried about it. Why? Because they worry about this concern or growing economic and diplomatic, uh, ties between the two. Is the same arguments can be made about Europe. We were concerned back then about the closeness between some European countries, mainly Germany the main economic engine in Europe with Russia. Why? Because Russia was giving, uh, uh, energy to Germany. Germany economy was booming up. We kind of said we need to limit this relationship. That's why we created the Ukraine conflict, and we even threatened Germany with sanctions if they moved forward with the, the Nord Stream 2 at that time. So this is why you see now the German economy, where it's going. It's in a recession, by the way, which they are not disclosing. It's official in recession. So this is where the concern of the US. And of course, on such issues, it was as far as dealing with North Korea, because also we didn't want South Korea to get closer to North Korea to work out their differences. So because North Korea is closer to China, so the Sino-Korean relationships at the beginning— remember the key word, the beginning of the 21st century— so this rapprochement all of a sudden turning to sort of, uh, chill, if I may use the term. Because in a time of 8 months— yeah, in 8 months, North Korean forces sunk the South Korean naval vessel Cheonan. If you know the history of it, which by the way doesn't get reported much on, I had to dig into all this. There were two main things: the sinking of the South Korean naval vessel, it's called Cheonan, and the shelling of the island of Yeonpyeong. Yeonpyeong, I don't know how to pronounce it. So, so this is why South Korea was furious at Beijing. Why? Because Beijing said, hmm, that's North Korea's decision, we have no say on it. It's the same setting that now the West is angry at China for for not condemning the Ukraine war. China saying, hey, that's North Korea's decision, it's not ours. So you all see how it's entangled, and this is why I am leaning more and more towards being convinced that China is reaching out one last time because diplomacy will be better than confrontation. So And even after that, relations between the two have healed slightly and bilateral relations resumed, but it was never like the same. It's like when something is broken, you put it back, you fix it, but you will always have, yeah, that mark. Oh, that's where it was broken. So, so because we are concerned about any, any closeness in Asia because we wanted to maintain the vision in Asia. That's how we want it. This is why I'm saying, uh, uh, China is thinking in terms, let's, let's just try one more time and maybe the last time, because I don't see now China ever trust in Philippines, because how could you? How could you? You say one thing and you do another. Yeah, but there is another thing that you need to understand. When I see South Korea— be mindful of this, guys— when I see South Korea, I am referring to the government, because people do not like what South Korean government is doing. You know, South Korean still, especially when it comes down to both countries, South Korea and Japan in this case, because South Koreans still resent the society's humiliating experience as a Japanese colony in the first half of the 20th century. They never forget. So, and this is again the suspicion And I did one of the videos in which I talked about, uh, we are supporting Japan's rearmament. And, and I put a title, I remember, 'Are the tendencies of imperialism resurfacing again in Japan?' Because that's exactly what it is. Because now the South Korean citizens are suspicious about Tokyo's intentions in the future. It's all about— you can't ignore history. Those who say, oh, in the past— no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Here's the thing, and I'll give you a fact here based on this research. Naval, uh, South Korea's naval, uh, commands, you know, those in charge of the naval apparatus in South Korea, have ambitions. And you know what their ambitions are? Is to rebuild, or build rather, a robust submarine fleet, even though Seoul's only military adversary is North Korea and has negligible naval capabilities. So South Korean military leaders privately admit that such a buildup is intended to deter Japan. Not even South Korea, not even China. I'm sorry. So this is why, before you jump to conclusion on anything you read or hear, try to see the historical trend of where things were, how they evolved, how the bilateral relations are. Let's say, I always personally, I do it when I write my books, I always go 100 years, a century If I am to go, for example, in an article for some analysis of sort, I always go with decade. That's just how I've been doing it, and because I like to see what changes took place during that time. So, so this is what I meant by understanding this dynamics. And once again, I'll go back to my first questions because I'm gonna wrap it up here and answer 2 or 3 questions from you guys. I'll go back to my initial questions. Is this the last attempt by China at diplomacy when it comes down to Japan and South Korea? And second, does China want unity in, uh, in Asia instead of allowing conflicts to emerge? And the third, is China concerned about— because of the Philippines flipping is China now concerned that Japan and South Korea will completely go along with what the US is saying. So anyway, let me take a look. I'm gonna go back to the top, guys, see if there's any question. I'll, I'll answer one. Hi, Boon, good to see you. Boon, good to see you as well. So, uh, I'm gonna go. By the way, before I forget, I will be doing, uh a live stream about Kashmir. I was waiting on information from inside Kashmir and it confirmed some stuff for me. So I will be, uh, doing that. Let me type it for you guys. Is Kashmir— I can only imagine the, the, uh the comments I'm going to be reading. So, all right, let me see if there's a question here, and, uh, and I'm going to wrap it up because I have to go work on that, uh, live stream for you guys. Okay, it takes a while for, you know, there's always a delay here, but it's not a problem. So we'll We'll see if there is one, uh, if there is a question, and I'll take one. Okay, I hope you guys find this, uh, live streams informative because, uh, I, I can cover this in a short video, of course, and, and I know it takes, uh, a while, but, uh So, but I, I figured this way you guys can get at least, because your time means a lot. Uh, oh, Masan Dursi. David, Dr. David, how I, how can I get your book? Uh, okay, here is the, let me post it again. Uh, here's the link to the book. But again, I have it on, uh, uh, David's book right there. There is a link to the book. You just go to this site and sign up for it. So, but I did post the link on the description, so you'll have it there. And again, there is no spam on this email. I don't do that kind of stuff, uh, and, and I will not share your, uh, uh, email with anyone else. I want you to know this. And I will never— FYI, I will never ask you for donations. I will never, uh, so if ever, it's not from me. So there are some spammers out there, just be aware. I don't do that kind of stuff, so you know that. Uh, all right, let me, uh— Phil, thank you very much, sir. Appreciate you. Appreciate you, Phil. Phil, by the way, joins me on a health channel as well. So thank you. All right, let me, uh, oh, oh, wow, David, I am all ears to hear your insights on Kashmir. It's a very— let me just say this, uh, uh, right off the bat, it's a very complicated, very, very, very complicated, uh, given the geographical location. Uh, but that doesn't mean it can. And by the way, Kashmir wanted to be independent. Yeah, they don't want to be affiliated with India, they don't want to be affiliated with Pakistan either. So it's both ways. So, so, Bara Allah, I intend to do this one here. All right, so I'm gonna sign off, guys, because I don't like to waste your time if I don't have anything of importance to say. I don't, uh Uh, I don't waste your time. So, and by the way, guys, please, if this is your first time here, please make sure to subscribe to this channel. You know, by the way, uh, one of the subscribers mentioned that, uh, he was unsubscribed automatically. He didn't unsubscribe from the channel. So that leads me to think, and I've been suspecting this, there is something going on because with this kind of content, uh, the, the, the number of subscribers is so low to, to the point that I'm suspecting some foul play here. So there's nothing I can do about it. Uh, you know the quality of the information. You know, there are many channels out there. Uh, you are entitled to watch whatever. Uh, to me, I would never ever waste your time when it comes down to this. But I did— I do suspect, uh, there are some— something going on with when it comes down to subscribers. So, so if this is your first time here, please, I would greatly appreciate it if you could subscribe. All right, uh, okay, I don't see any questions here, so I'm gonna, guys, move on. And I will look forward to probably most likely see you tomorrow for for the live stream on Kashmir. If not tomorrow, it will be at the beginning of the week, but most likely I might end up doing it tomorrow. We'll see. So anyway, guys, I hope you have a great day, and I hope you find this video informative. As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, bye-bye.