COMMENTARY / Japan

Afghanistan is not Japan, South Korea or Taiwan

With enduring interests in the region, U.S. Asian allies need not be alarmed over its hasty Afghan withdrawal

Demonstrators protest the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan near the White House on Aug. 15. The U.S. pullout should not be construed with its commitments to Japan, South Korea and other longtime allies. | TOM BRENNER / THE NEW YORK TIMES

By Stephen R. Nagy
Contributing Writer

Aug 24, 2021

As the Taliban seek to consolidate their power, what does this say about the U.S. security commitments to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea?

Chinese analysts and government mouthpieces like the Global Times are selling the narrative that the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban is evidence of America's decline.

Many argue that the United States’ inability to “defeat” the Taliban despite overwhelming military superiority demonstrates that the U.S. is a zhilaohu (a paper tiger), a euphemism used by communist leaders of the past to describe a foe that appears threatening but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand a challenge.

Afghanistan is not Japan, South Korea or Taiwan

With enduring interests in the region, U.S. Asian allies need not be alarmed over its hasty Afghan withdrawal

In your social network

In your inbox

In your social network

In your inbox