Feb. 10 (UPI) — A leaked document of responses from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to questions from U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., during Tillerson’s confirmation hearing in January indicate he may be taking a more moderate approach to challenges in Asia.
The 51-page document that a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee spokesman verified as authentic to The Japan Times includes a more restrained strategy to such issues as military burden sharing with Asian allies and Chinese buildup in the South China Sea.
According to the record, Tillerson said, “Japan and South Korea already contribute large amounts to support U.S. forces in their respective countries.”
But the new secretary of state did not rule out “future discussions” for “equitable burden-sharing,” while noting the “shared alliances form the foundation for security in Northeast Asia and beyond.”
Tillerson was fielding a question from Cardin, after the U.S. senator asked whether he would be “willing to withdraw U.S. forces” from Japan or Korea if an equitable burden-sharing deal is not reached.
Trump had frequently criticized Japan and South Korea on the campaign trail with regard to trade and military cost sharing.
Burden sharing was not an issue that came up during the U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis‘ recent visit to Seoul and Tokyo.
Tillerson also took a more careful approach to Chinese activity in the South China Sea during the hearing, after taking a more hardline stance at an earlier stage of his confirmation.
The former ExxonMobil chief executive, who had proposed a blockade to end Chinese construction efforts, did not repeat the suggestion, according to the document.
“China cannot be allowed to use its artificial islands to coerce its neighbors or limit freedom of navigation or overflight in the South China Sea,” Tillerson stated. “The United States will uphold freedom of navigation and overflight by continuing to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows.”
China has denied it is prohibiting freedom of navigation in international waters.
