Biden's goal when meeting with the leaders of South Korea and Japan at Camp David is to firmly consolidate the newly repaired relationship between the allies in East Asia.
President Joe Biden will begin the US-Japan-South Korea summit at 11am (10pm Hanoi time) today at Camp David in Maryland, US, to discuss measures to strengthen trilateral cooperation in the fields of defense, technology and economy.
This is the first US-South Korea-Japan summit in history, as previous trilateral meetings have taken place on the sidelines of multilateral events. The summit takes place in the context of South Korea and Japan, the US's two closest allies in East Asia, recently improving relations after many historical disputes and disagreements related to the issue of "forced labor" during World War II.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio held their first bilateral summit in 12 years in March, agreeing to resume high-level visits that had been suspended for more than a decade, as well as security talks.
Prime Minister Kishida said strengthening bilateral ties was an "urgent issue" amid complicated regional security developments due to growing pressure from North Korea and China. He said Tokyo would soon restart security talks with Seoul, while Yoon said South Korea had "completely normalized" the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan.
Observers say this is a good opportunity for President Biden to create a solid glue to consolidate the recently repaired relationship between the two close allies, while also making a mark in foreign relations. Camp David, the venue for the trilateral summit, is also the location that witnessed many historic dialogues between previous US presidents.
“The Camp David summit is a significant event,” said Robert Sutter, a professor of international relations at George Washington University who served as the US national intelligence officer for East Asia and the Pacific. “A new era could emerge from this event.”
That is exactly what the White House expects from the summit, as President Biden's advisers see the recent warming of relations between Japan and South Korea as still quite fragile.
US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan on May 21. Photo: Reuters
According to Politico , the main factor that brought South Korea and Japan closer together after years of tension is recent security fluctuations in the region, including North Korea's continuous missile tests or China's increasingly aggressive actions in the Taiwan Strait and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, where Tokyo and Beijing are in dispute.
Japan-South Korea ties based on shared concerns about the regional geopolitical environment can only be stronger when reinforced by long-term commitment factors such as economics and security, analysts say.
“They have always been important friends of ours, but the alliance with Japan and South Korea has become even more important because of China’s recent actions,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Cybersecurity and East Asia and the Pacific. “When two of your allies are at odds with each other, the alliance naturally weakens.”
Senator Bill Hagerty, former US ambassador to Japan, also said that the reason for the US, South Korea and Japan to promote trilateral cooperation is "shared concerns" about China's actions in the region, and predicted that South Korea and Japan will promote "military cooperation".
Experts also said that the results of the upcoming conference will have a great impact on the political future of the US-Korea-Japan leaders, especially South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has faced some public opposition over his policy of rapprochement with Japan.
“Mr. Yoon is gambling with his political career, as about 70% of South Koreans oppose his approach to Japan,” said former US ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris. “However, Mr. Yoon recognizes that no major problem in East Asia can be solved without the active participation of both Japan and South Korea.”
Congressman Young Kim, chairman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, also acknowledged President Yoon's efforts to improve relations with Japan, despite not receiving support from domestic public opinion.
“He is willing to take a risky step for the sake of countering a common threat in the future,” Kim said. “We need to do this together.”
Mr. Biden at Camp David in February 2022. Photo: Reuters
Meanwhile, President Biden was highly appreciated by Senator Chris Van Hollen for his efforts to promote healing of Korea-Japan relations.
"The Biden administration has gained the trust and interest of both countries through meetings on the sidelines of international summits, as well as lower-level dialogue. All of these measures have helped make this summit possible," said Van Hollen.
China is paying special attention to the US-South Korea-Japan summit. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on August 15 that he would "closely monitor" the summit, accusing the US of "cliquey behavior, intensifying confrontation and harming the strategic security of other countries."
Because South Korea and Japan have such a strong economic and trade interdependence with China, the summit is unlikely to produce a joint statement that openly criticizes Beijing, according to Politico. However, the parties may sign agreements to share advanced intelligence, plan joint military exercises, or promote cooperation in semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
These developments will help the Biden administration continue to strengthen US policy in the Indo-Pacific, which is to unite allies in the region to increase pressure on China. Previously, the US established the "Quad" group with Japan, India and Australia, as well as signed the "AUKUS" security treaty with Australia and the UK, moves that met with fierce opposition from China.
However, the future of the US-South Korea-Japan trilateral relationship remains uncertain, given the potential for changes in US politics after next year's presidential election, as well as unresolved historical disputes between South Korea and Japan.
“The US needs to pay close attention, otherwise things will go wrong,” said David Rank, a former US charge d’affaires to China. “There are a lot of tensions between Seoul and Tokyo,” which are unlikely to be resolved by a trilateral summit.
Pham Giang (According to CNN, Politico )
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