World War 3 panic: South Korea caught in the middle of China-US conflict

Conflicts between several nations could force other countries to join in the fray in what would end up becoming an all-out conflict or in our case, a world war 3 kind of scenario. As tensions rise even more surrounding relations between China and the United States, South Korea may get caught in the middle of it all.

South Korea may be caught in the middle of the tensions between the US and China. It has China as one of its major trading partners but it is also home to the United States’ military firepower. But the growing conflict between the two superpowers has now forced South Korea to maintain negotiations with Beijing while also preparing for the incoming Biden administration of the US. Korea National Diplomatic Academy chancellor Kim Joon-hyung said that while the country is by no means weak, it is surrounded by opposing superpowers in the region and in a geopolitical sense.

Yonsei University political science professor Moon Chung-in also weighed in on the current situation that the country is facing. Moon warned that should South Korea side with the US against China, then it would result in emerging conflicts in their waters. Moon also noted that Washington may demand Seoul to end its neutrality on certain issues like the Taiwan Strait and the highly disputed South China Sea.

“Most sensible Koreans wouldn’t want Korea to be entangled in a sharp military conflict between the US and China,” said Moon, who also said that Seoul would need to improve its relations with Beijing due to the conflicts with North Korea.

The United Kingdom may also be forced to intervene in conflicts that could escalate into world war 3. However, the UK may prove to be more than its military firepower due to its nuclear arms stockpile, specifically its Trident missiles. The missiles have a range of 12,000 kilometers which could put areas of China and Russia within range as well as the rest of the world. By 2016, the House of Commons voted to renew the Trident missile system which would cost up to GBP 30 billion.

However, critics have expressed that the budget that would be spent for Trident would be better off used for other aspects such as healthcare.