Summit: USA, Japan and South Korea want to send “message to the world”.

In the face of increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the USA, Japan and South Korea want to strengthen their security cooperation and stand up to China’s quest for power in the region.

US President Joe Biden welcomed Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to a summit at Camp David. The allies wanted to agree on a consultation obligation in security crises and further joint military exercises, as the White House announced. In addition, a kind of emergency hotline is to be set up between Washington, Tokyo and Seoul for quick exchange in crises. Recently, North Korea’s missile launches had given cause for concern. The US government previously called the meeting at the President’s country estate “historic”.

At the start of the meeting, Biden shook hands with his two guests on the grounds of the Catoctin Mountain recreation area near Washington. “Our countries are stronger and the world is safer when we stand side by side,” he said afterwards. According to the US government, this is the first “independent summit” between the US, Japan and South Korea. It is also the first time Biden has used Camp David for a summit. “This place is reserved only for the most important and significant meetings of this type,” said a White House official. Relations between the three countries should be raised “to a new level” there.

Concern over North Korea’s missile launches

The United States and its partners in the Indo-Pacific are concerned about North Korea’s repeated missile launches and China’s growing power drive in the region. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have recently increased significantly. The US and other countries are also concerned about China’s trade practices and Chinese expansionism in the Indo-Pacific. Indo-Pacific means a region from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean. China has behaved “aggressively” in the region, Washington said. The United States is also critical of Beijing’s proximity to Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the White House, the three allies’ newly agreed duty to consult is intended to ensure a rapid exchange “in the event of a regional emergency or threat”. “We will discuss ways to share information, coordinate our messages and take political action together,” it said. However, this obligation does not affect either the right of any country to self-defense under international law or existing bilateral contractual obligations. The new trilateral hotline should be used in “moments of crisis and uncertainty”.

“It’s not about taking measures to isolate China,” the White House said. A US official compared the close alliance that will emerge to the relationship between Germany and France. This initially began at the level of the heads of state and government of both countries – but was then extended to the level of the governments and the people. The aim is therefore not only to anchor the alliance in the capitals, but also on a political level, according to the US representative. It is therefore also planned to meet annually at the top level in the future.

“Historic Meeting”

“This historic meeting proves how important this relationship is not only for our country but also for international security,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said in advance. It is also a “message to the world and the region”. The aim is to deter “possible aggressors” and to ensure “stability and security” in the region and internationally. The neighbors South Korea and Japan are dependent on the nuclear protective umbrella of the USA to deter North Korea, among others.

Previously there had been reports that the United States wanted to develop modern missiles to intercept hypersonic missiles together with Japan. The White House did not confirm this in advance. Hypersonic weapons, such as those developed by North Korea, but also by China and Russia, have so far been difficult to intercept because of their high speed and maneuverability.

US President Biden’s administration is making great efforts to strengthen its alliances in Asia in view of the conflict over North Korea and the increasingly powerful China. Japan and South Korea are among the most important US allies in Asia. However, the two countries have a rather frosty relationship for historical reasons – but they have recently come closer and agreed on a new start in the difficult relationship. Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. Many Koreans were taken to Japan for forced labor during the war.