Trilateral Relations Between US, Japan, South Korea Improve Amid Growing Beijing Threat in Indo-Pacific

Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin listen to Japan's national anthem during an honor cordon at the Pentagon in Washington, May 4, 2022. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

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The defense chiefs of the United States, Japan, and South Korea reached a consensus in Singapore on June 11 to deepen security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

At the trilateral meeting, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup also unanimously opposed any unilateral actions that seek to alter the status quo and increase tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

This is the first in-person meeting between the three defense heads since the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting in November 2019.

In a joint statement, the ministers strongly condemned North Korea’s continued launch of ballistic missiles, addressed the growing military threat from Beijing, and emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

“They further committed to conduct trilateral missile warning and ballistic missile search and tracking exercises, and to identify further trilateral actions in order to address [North Korea’s] ballistic missile launches,” said the statement issued by the U.S. Department of Defense read.

Trilateral exercises are expected to be held on a consistent basis. Due to frosty Japan-South Korea relations, such activities have not been held since December 2017.

The three defense chiefs agreed to closely cooperate to achieve the complete denuclearization of North Korea and establish permanent peace in the region.

South Korea's Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12, 2022. Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

During the security forum, Lee and his Japanese counterpart acknowledge the importance of trilateral cooperation to protect and develop common security goals. And the three ministers agreed to work on mending the rift between Japan and South Korea.

Japan’s Role

Amid a growing number of security challenges, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also unveiled his strategy for Japan’s role in the Indo-Pacific region during an address last week at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore—a major international security summit.

“I am determined to fundamentally reinforce Japan’s capabilities within the next five years and secure a substantial increase of Japan’s defense budget,” Kishida said the United States Naval Institute (USNI) reported.

Kishida said Japan must prepare for “the emergence of an entity that tramples on the peace and security of other countries by force or threat without honoring the rules.”

“I myself have a strong sense that Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” Kishida warned while stressing the need for closer collaboration to maintain a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 10, 2022. Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

He likewise opposed unilateral changes to the status quo by force, no matter where they occur.

Although Kishida did not openly name China in his speech, he pointed to the disputes in the East and South China seas, as well as tensions over Taiwan.

He said unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea are continuing and are in violation of international law.

‘Iron Triangle’

Experts see the strengthening of the U.S.-Japan-South Korea alliance as a means of better constraining Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific.

Ryo Sahashi, a professor of international politics at the University of Tokyo, told The Epoch Times that the meeting shows the strengthening of the alliance, commonly known as the “Iron Triangle.”

He added that the inclusion of India would further enhance regional security.

It would force Beijing to face a “two-front” situation, Sahashi said.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, activities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have become an international focus.

Austin outlined U.S. policy on Taiwan at the Shangri-La Dialogue, as well as his concerns over Beijing’s aggression towards the self-ruled island.

“We remain focused on maintaining peace, stability, and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. But [Beijing’s] moves threaten to undermine security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. And that’s crucial for this region, and it’s crucial for the wider world,” he said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 11, 2022. Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

Austin stressed that Washington still adheres to the longstanding “one-China policy,” which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations with Taipei.

“Now, as a part of our one-China policy, we will continue to fulfill our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act. That includes assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability,” he said.

“And it means maintaining our own capacity to resist any use of force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people of Taiwan.

“So our policy hasn’t changed. But unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be true for the PRC,” he said using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.

Sahashi said that Taiwan’s democratic government is a sharp contrast to the Chinese totalitarian regime.

He said Taiwan has increasingly gained support from countries with shared values, including the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

Ellen Wan contributed to this report.