Aug 11, 2023 (Arirang News) - South Korea, the United States and Japan are looking to make top-level meetings and joint military drills regular in a joint statement that's reportedly being negotiated, ahead of a meeting between the three leaders at Camp David next Friday.
The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan are planning to meet at least once a year for trilateral talks, and hold joint military exercises to deter North Korea's nuclear threat, and other significant security challenges.
That's according to a U.S. diplomat Thursday, who said the three countries are close to finalizing a joint statement to be issued at Camp David, after Presidents Yoon Suk Yeol, and Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold talks next Friday.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel told Japanese media that the joint document is being finalized and will include holding a yearly trilateral leaders' meeting, separate from international conferences.
He said the leaders are also looking to conduct annual trilateral joint training between their militaries, as North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and missiles, and China strengthens its maritime advances.
The three leaders will also strengthen intel-sharing and cyber-cooperation, as well as touch upon economic security.
With such agreements expected to (quote) "change the strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific region," Emanuel added that a separate vision statement will be released, taking trilateral collaboration into a new phase.
This comes amid speculation that the three countries are working to build a mechanism for three-way cooperation, although it is unclear whether the joint document would mention China, or to what extent it would be alluded to, given the geopolitical sensitivities in the region.
"So I think when it comes to PRC matters, it's going be more in the general geo-strategic challenge posed by Beijing and economic challenges, but perhaps less pointed and less hard hitting than anything we might see on North Korea, for instance. I think there'll be sort of vague veiled references to upholding the rule of law and against economic coercion."
On that note, Seoul's National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong told reporters last Friday that "a consensus is being formed" on holding the yearly trilateral gatherings, and the outcome will likely materialize after the leaders' discussions.
