Will America’s Asian allies get dragged into the Iran war?
They are worried Uncle Sam will abandon them if they don’t fight.
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Protesters rally against US President Donald Trump's call to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz., outside the US embassy in Seoul on March 15.
PHOTO : AFP
The Economist
US President Donald Trump has a request. Having made a mess of global energy markets by attacking Iran, he is now demanding that America’s allies around the world send forces to help open the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on his social network on March 14, Mr Trump named Asian allies including Japan and South Korea among a list of foreign powers that he hopes will send ships to the Gulf.
And not just allies: “I think China should help too,” Mr Trump told the Financial Times on March 15. The next day, he sought to delay a summit, scheduled for later in March, with Mr Xi Jinping, China’s leader, so he could focus on the war.
