[US New Security Strategy ①] China Still a Challenger, Russia Still a Threat... Only the US Perspective Has Changed

Focus on 'Balance of Power' over Global Hegemony
"A Departure from the Basic Premise of the Past Decade"
China as an Economic Competitor... More Friendly Toward Russia

"The era when the United States upheld the world order like Atlas has come to an end."

On December 5, the Trump administration in the United States released its National Security Strategy (NSS). The United States has put forward a new principle, shifting from global hegemony competition with China and Russia to pursuing a "balance of power." This 33-page NSS is the first security strategy guideline released by the U.S. in three years, since the Biden administration's version in 2022.

The NSS is the highest-level security strategy document that the U.S. president is required to draft and make public. It outlines threats, objectives, and response methods for the United States, drawing global attention. In accordance with the Goldwater-Nichols Act enacted in 1986, the White House submits the NSS to Congress approximately every four years.

This year, the Trump administration designated the defense of Taiwan as the top priority in Indo-Pacific security, urging allied nations to expand their roles and increase defense spending. Key points closely related to South Korea include: ▲ the defense of the First Island Chain and the Taiwan deterrence strategy ▲ measures to contain China and economic/trade strategy ▲ the removal of references to North Korean denuclearization and changes in priority ▲ and South Korea being identified as a core ally.

Changed Relations with China and Russia

The most significant difference lies in the U.S. perspective toward Russia and China. The Brookings Institution, a U.S. think tank, noted that the new NSS "marks a break from the basic premise of the past decade of U.S. diplomacy, which defined China as a 'pacing challenge' and Russia as an 'acute threat,'" and predicted that the scope of future policy changes could be even greater.

The United States mentioned China 19 times, signaling its intent to keep China in check. It explicitly listed China's industrial subsidies, trade imbalances, intellectual property (IP) theft, threats to resource supply chains, and fentanyl precursor exports as risk factors. At the same time, it encouraged major countries such as Europe, Japan, and South Korea to restructure their economies from export-driven to consumer-driven models. The strategy also emphasized economic diplomacy centered on reciprocal tariffs and strengthened border controls.

In the 2017 NSS during Trump’s first term, China was defined as a "competitor seeking to shape the world order contrary to U.S. values and interests, undermining power and influence, and eroding security and prosperity," and the U.S. took an aggressive and hardline stance. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) pointed out that the new NSS defines China not as a geopolitical threat but almost as an "economic competitor," aiming to build a "mutually beneficial economic relationship" with China.

Toward Russia, the NSS adopted an even more overtly "friendly" attitude. It issued scathing criticism of European allies, even using the term "civilizational erasure," and positioned far-right parties as partners. In particular, the near absence of references to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, nuclear threats, and treaty violations in the NSS was described by the Brookings Institution as "the scenario Russia had hoped for."

‘Donlo Doctrine’ Reaffirmed... North Korean Denuclearization No Longer a U.S. Priority

President Trump’s characteristic isolationist tendencies are strongly reflected as well. The new "Monroe Doctrine" can be seen as an expanded and revised version of the original Monroe Doctrine, which advocated non-intervention in European conflicts in the 1800s and focused on U.S. interests in the Americas. Some have dubbed this the "Donlo Doctrine," combining Trump's first name, Donald, with the Monroe Doctrine.

The emphasis on "self-reliant defense" for allied nations is a prime example. The NSS explicitly set the defense of the First Island Chain (Okinawa-Taiwan-Philippines-Malacca Strait) as a core objective. The United States called for allies to increase their own defense budgets to strengthen collective defense capabilities, setting the deterrence of conflict over Taiwan as the top priority and declaring, "We do not support any unilateral change to Taiwan’s status." The policy also confirmed that the role of U.S. Forces Korea would not be significantly reduced and demanded expanded access to allied ports and facilities.

This is a potentially concerning development for South Korea, which remains in a state of armistice. Not only was North Korean denuclearization omitted, but the word "North Korea" was not mentioned even once. This stands in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s 2022 NSS, which mentioned North Korea three times and stated, "We will pursue diplomacy for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula while strengthening extended deterrence (the nuclear umbrella)." Previously, China’s "White Paper on Arms Control" released in November also omitted references to "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," leading to assessments that both the United States and China lack the will to address the issue.

Additionally, the United States called for the modernization of alliances in the NSS, identifying South Korea as a core ally in its Indo-Pacific deterrence strategy. It also demanded an expanded role for South Korea in reducing the U.S. trade deficit, infrastructure cooperation, and the defense of Taiwan.

Emily Harding, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow for Defense and Security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), commented, "The Trump administration is trying to establish an 'America First' foreign policy, which is highly pragmatic but perhaps short-sighted," adding, "This current self-centered approach risks leading the United States toward a more isolated, weaker, and more divided future in the long run."