Tough Timing

The United States has been, is now and will remain a resident Pacific power – this is the message America's vice president, Joseph Biden, wants to convey during his trip to East Asia from December 1 to 8.

Biden's visits to Japan, China and South Korea take place amid heightened tensions. China established an air defense identification zone on November 23 and said its military is capable of controlling the zone. Since then, two U.S. B-52 bombers and several South Korean and Japanese flights flew though the zone.