The China Problem: Assessing the Feasibility of Closing US Military Bases in South Korea and Japan while Maintaining President Biden’s Goals Towards China

Abstract

This thesis explores the feasibility of closing foreign US military bases in Japan and South Korea, while maintaining the Biden administration's strategic goals towards China. I do this by creating a feasibility assessment, based on the DOD’s definition of feasibility. I then supplemented this by conducting a comparative study of the UK and France to see how they address their Indo-Pacific goals, and goals towards China without having military bases in South Korea or Japan. The outcomes reached from the studies led to three policy implications. The conclusion of the study’s did not support my hypothesis that it would indeed be possible to completely maintain President Biden’s administration's goals towards China, but the studies do show it is possible to an extent.