U.S. lawmaker urges Indo-Pacific nations to consider NATO-like alliance to deter China, North Korea

Defense

Published: 11 Dec. 2023, 14:58 Updated: 11 Dec. 2023, 22:15

U.S. lawmaker urges Indo-Pacific nations to consider NATO-like alliance to deter China, North Korea

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, shakes hands with U.S. House Rep. Michael McCaul, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, at the presidential office in Seoul on April 5. Joining the delegational visit were representatives Young Kim, second from right, and Mike Lawler, fourth from right. [JOING PRESS CORPS]

A U.S. conservative lawmaker called on nations in the Indo-Pacific to consider a NATO-like security apparatus to curb Chinese and North Korean threats.

“Our adversaries — China, Russia, Iran and North Korea — have forged an unholy alliance to disrupt and destabilize the globe,” Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York said in a statement released by his office last week. “It’s crucial that the democracies of the region and world work in unison to combat this rising threat.”

The Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization Act, drafted by Lawler and a group of representatives, would “establish a task force to analyze the security situation in the Indo-Pacific” and determine whether a NATO-like coalition between the United States and Indo-Pacific partners would be “an effective deterrent” to aggression from China and North Korea, according to Lawler’s office.

The bill comes on the heels of continued military provocations from the North, which launched a spy satellite into orbit last month, and reports of alleged arms deals between Russia and North Korea. North Korean weapons were also found in the hands of Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7, raising suspicions of North Korean involvement.

A statement of U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler released on his website as of last week. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Lawler was in Korea earlier this year with Rep. Michael McCaul and other House Foreign Affairs Committee members for a congressional trip to the region, during which they met with President Yoon Suk Yeol. They also visited Japan and Taiwan on the tour.

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said it has no statement or position on the bill's proposal as of Monday.

“A collective security agreement has the potential to deter aggression and protect the forces of democracy in the Indo-Pacific,” said Lawler. “I look forward to continuing the dialogue with our partners and working with my colleagues to get this important legislation passed.”

Although the idea of an Indo-Pacific NATO has been floated several times by U.S. legislators, the draft bill submitted last week was the first time it was proposed formally in the U.S. Congress.

Some experts have voiced their doubts on the idea, citing some critical differences among major players in the region like India, a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the United States but has chosen to differ from the United States on issues related to Russia and China.

“Japan’s strategic interests are largely aligned with those of the United States in keeping China in check,” said Park Yong-han, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. “South Korea needs a collective security system to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. But due to its relationship with China, it has been difficult for Korea to actively participate in discussions on establishing such a collective security apparatus.”

BY ESTHER CHUNG, KIM SANG-JIN [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]