US, Japan, South Korea Vow to Bolster Trilateral Ties To Tackle China, North Korea Threats

Top defense officials from Japan, the US, and South Korea have pledged to enhance trilateral relations and cooperation to achieve peace amid growing security threats from China and North Korea, as reported by Nikkei Asia. The officials from the three nations made this declaration during a gathering in Tokyo on Thursday.

In attendance were General Yoshihide Yoshida, head of Japan’s Defence Ministry Joint Staff, his US counterpart General Charles Brown, and South Korean counterpart Admiral Kim Myung Soo. This marked the first time Japan hosted such a high-level defense meeting.

During the meeting, the officers agreed to “continue to strengthen trilateral security cooperation to advance peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific, and beyond,” according to a joint statement quoted by Nikkei Asia. The nations collectively urged North Korea to “cease all destabilising activities immediately.” Additionally, they condemned North Korea’s increasing ties with Russia and demanded a halt to its nuclear program.

Addressing China’s expansionist activities in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea, the three countries opposed any attempts to alter the status quo by force. Notably, this was the first meeting between the defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan in nine years.

These senior officials are scheduled to reconvene in South Korea next year, according to Nikkei Asia. Earlier this month, Felicity Oswald, head of the British government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), highlighted that China and North Korea are among the most concerning nations regarding cybersecurity threats. She emphasized that the evolving Chinese threat should be a cause for global concern, as reported by Nikkei Asia. Oswald noted that China’s cyber capabilities and potential risks are a significant focus for her organization.