 And what we can clearly see is that the purpose of this alliance is to encircle China militarily and not only prepare for but actively provoke a situation of war, some kind of confrontation that can be used to bring about a collapse of China's political system and extend the reach of U.S. imperialism in the region. But where does Korea really fit into this? It might not be immediately obvious, but the point I want to argue today is that Korea is the keystone of this rising Asian NATO.