The US, Japan and South Korea are moving closer together with China amid rising tensions. At their Camp David summit, states agreed to annual military maneuvers and close consultations. They accused Beijing of aggressive behavior.
The United States, Japan and South Korea practiced closing ranks at their three-way summit, sending a signal to China and North Korea. US President Joe Biden and his guests, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol accused the government in Beijing of “dangerous and aggressive behavior” in the South China Sea.
“We share concern about actions that are inconsistent with the rules-based international order and undermine regional peace and prosperity,” they said in a joint statement after the summit in Camp David near Washington, DC. Regarding China and territorial claims in the South China Sea, the joint statement went on to say: “We resolutely oppose any attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo in Indo-Pacific waters.”
Cooperation in missile defense
In response, the three states therefore want to strengthen their defense cooperation. “This also includes annual military exercises,” announced Biden after the summit. Cooperation in the defense sector should be brought to an “unprecedented level”. With a view to North Korea, one also wants to expand cooperation in the field of ballistic missile defense, explained Biden.
The unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas continued, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida warned with regard to China at the joint press conference. North Korea’s nuclear threats are also getting stronger. South Korean President Yoon said, “From this moment on, Camp David will be remembered as a historical site.” South Korea, the USA and Japan made it clear at the US President’s country residence that they wanted to play a key role in improving security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
Biden: New era of partnership
According to the summit statement, the three states want to set up a hotline to discuss responses to threats. Communication between the three countries should be made easier. This included annual meetings of heads of state and government, foreign ministers, defense ministers and national security advisers. Closer economic cooperation and an early warning system for delivery bottlenecks were also agreed.
Biden described the first summit in this format as a “historic moment”. He spoke of a “new era of partnership”. “This isn’t about a day, a week, or a month, it’s about decades and decades of partnership that we’re building.” South Korean President Yoon said Camp David will be remembered as “a historic place where the Republic of Korea, Japan and the United States announced they will strengthen the rules-based international order and will play key roles promoting regional security and… increase prosperity”.
protests from Beijing
The United States, Japan and South Korea view China’s actions with great concern. North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile program has also long been viewed as a major threat. Biden has therefore placed a focus on the Indo-Pacific in his foreign policy. The United States has long accused China of pursuing an expansionist course and of considering a military conquest of Taiwan.
Observers see the Camp David summit as another sign of a thaw between Japan and South Korea, which have recently taken steps to ease decades of tension. The United States has around 80,000 troops stationed in the two states.
China criticized in the run-up to the meeting. “Attempts to form various exclusive groups and cliques and bring bloc confrontation to the Asia-Pacific region are unpopular and will surely spark vigilance and resistance from countries in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang said Wenbin.