Biden's 'nuclear deterrence' remarks send shock waves - China.org.cn

United States President Joe Biden sent shock waves on his first Asian trip by committing to "nuclear deterrence" for the Republic of Korea, wider military exercises and weapon upgrades in a region deemed the engine of global economic growth.

In a joint statement issued by Biden and Yoon Suk-yeol, president of the Republic of Korea, after their meeting on May 21, Biden reaffirmed that the US has extended a deterrence commitment to the ROK "using the full range of US defense capabilities, including nuclear, conventional, and missile defense capabilities".

"This is the first time that the joint statement stipulates the term 'nuclear deterrence'," said Lee Seong-Hyon, visiting scholar of Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, noting that the inclusion of the term sends a clear message to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.