U.S.-CHINA CHICKEN GAME HAS REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Hello.

You're watching Thursday's edition of Press Perspective for April 17th here in Seoul.

I'm Min Sun-hee.

The Trump administration's tariff policy is looking to bleed beyond trade and into diplomacy and security especially for its allies including South Korea.

For more on this reality I have Thomas Maresca with American news agency UPI.

Thomas welcome.

I also have Yang Chien-Hao a freelance journalist from Taiwan based here in Seoul.

Chien-Hao it's good to have you back.

1) Thomas, quite a number of media outlets are calling the tariff war between the U.S. and China a dangerous game of chicken.

2) Chien-Hao, there has also been quite a bit of coverage about who will blink first in this latest game of chicken.

3) Thomas, let's now touch upon the broader implications of this trade war between the U.S. and China on its partners including South Korea.

4) And Chien-Hao, what does South Korea look to gain and lose should it shift its foreign policy to expand its embrace of China?

5) Thomas, how does the U.S.'s confrontational approach towards China look to affect efforts to denuclearize North Korea?

6) Chien-Hao, do you fear that the trade war between the U.S. and China may play out in the form of an actual war in Taiwan?

7) Thomas, Mr. Trump's "America First" policy appears to leave the U.S. less willing to compromise in global security matters.

8) Chien-Hao, what proactive steps should the incoming South Korean administration take to ensure its security and stability going forward?

9) Thomas, the U.S. Energy Department's designation of South Korea as a "sensitive" nation went into effect this past Tuesday.

All right.