Early morning of August 19 (Vietnam time, or noon of August 18 East Coast time, US), US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a summit at Camp David (Maryland, US). Before that, on the evening of August 18 (Vietnam time), President Biden also had two separate meetings with Prime Minister Kishida and President Yoon.
Comprehensive cooperation framework
After the summit, the joint statement said the three countries agreed to coordinate on many issues. First, the US, Japan and South Korea agreed to maintain the annual trilateral summit, along with other trilateral conferences at different levels to consult on many issues.
On regional security and geopolitics, the three countries agreed on a unified approach to the Indo-Pacific region, including ASEAN's central role and promoting cooperation with countries in the South Pacific, and pledged to work together to promote security and peace in the Indo-Pacific. The statement also criticized China's actions in the South China Sea, declaring its support for international law, including freedom of navigation and overflight, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The joint statement also affirmed "the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable factor for security and prosperity in the international community".
From left: President Joon, President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida at a joint press conference at Camp David on August 18.
Regarding the Korean Peninsula issue, the statement said: "We strongly condemn the DPRK's unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, and conventional military actions that pose a serious threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond."
However, the three countries also affirmed: "Japan, South Korea and the United States remain committed to re-establishing dialogue with North Korea without preconditions." This commitment can be seen as a move to pave the way for resuming dialogue with North Korea without setting conditions that Pyongyang must fulfill before dialogue.
However, Washington, Tokyo and Seoul still agreed to increase joint exercises on missile defense, anti-submarine warfare... In particular, the three countries coordinated the ballistic missile defense warning system at sea to share real-time data to respond to "missile and nuclear threats" from North Korea.
In addition, the statement also affirmed support for Ukraine, while condemning Russia.
In terms of economics, the statement said the US, Japan and South Korea will cooperate to improve the supply chain, especially in the field of semiconductors. In addition, the three countries will "strengthen cooperation on technology protection measures to prevent the illegal export or theft of advanced technologies we develop abroad". According to observers, these cooperative relationships have great significance in countering China.
Cooperation opportunity
Within the framework of the above agreements, all three countries have promoted cooperation on economic cooperation issues such as strengthening the supply chain, especially in semiconductor components in particular and technology in general. Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have also promoted many cooperation programs within the above agreements.
However, the most prominent initiative is the real-time information sharing system for North Korean missile launches. Because such cooperation, combined with joint exercises, can also closely monitor and strengthen military deterrence in the Northeast Asia region - where China is strongly rising.
Responding to Thanh Nien on August 19, Dr. Satoru Nagao (Hudson Institute, USA) commented: "At the three-way summit, the US - Japan - South Korea agreed on many security issues, especially the real-time information sharing system to deal with North Korea's missile launches. Although Pyongyang's missile launches are not a new issue in recent years, this is the first time Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have agreed on this system."
According to Mr. Nagao, this agreement indicates two things. First and foremost, the agreement indicates that the security situation in Northeast Asia has deteriorated. In particular, China has increased its military spending very rapidly in recent times and is about to catch up with the US. At the same time, China is believed to have plans to attack Taiwan. Also in the region, North Korea, a country close to China, is testing many sophisticated missiles. Therefore, one cannot ignore the risk scenario that when China attacks Taiwan, North Korea may attack South Korea and Japan. In such a situation, US military resources will be divided into two fronts.
Since launching its military campaign against Ukraine, Russia has been under sanctions from the West and has become somewhat dependent on China. Chinese and Russian warships and bombers have conducted many joint exercises. China and Russia also oppose any strong sanctions against North Korea. Therefore, from the China-Russia-North Korea relationship, the US-Japan-South Korea understands that deeper cooperation is needed.
"Second, this agreement was reached because of Korea's internal politics. Previously, some Korean governments had different foreign policies, but the policy gradually changed under President Yoon, who chose to strengthen relations with both the US and Japan. Thanks to that, the three countries reached the above agreement," Dr. Nagao analyzed.
The challenge of continuity
The US-Japan-South Korea summit marks the latest stage in rebuilding trust between Tokyo and Seoul and strengthening trilateral cooperation with Washington to strengthen the rules-based order amid China's rise in the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine conflict and tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The Camp David agreement sets out a framework for deeper trilateral cooperation in the areas of security, economics, and diplomacy. However, the continuity of the agreement will depend on whether these initiatives translate into domestic political support for President Yoon and whether the cooperation is institutionalized to sustain under successive administrations. Whether Seoul maintains its policy of strategic convergence with Japan and the United States is a matter of concern for all parties.
Professor Stephen Robert Nagy (International Christian University - Japan, scholar at the Japan Institute of International Studies)
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