US, Japan, South Korea Look To Cement Security Ties Before America Votes
The US, Japan and South Korea are set to sign a deal on joint military training and information sharing at a rare meeting in Tokyo, looking to lock in gains in security cooperation before America elects its next president in November.
(Bloomberg) -- The US, Japan and South Korea signed a deal on joint military training at a rare meeting in Tokyo, in an effort to lock in gains for security cooperation and elevate military alliances before America elects its next president in November.
South Korea sent its defense minister to Japan on the first official visit to the country in 15 years for the talks that started Sunday and that involve top diplomats and military officials from the three nations. The discussions are aimed at taking advantage of an alignment in views among the US and its two major Asian allies on how to counter threats posed by North Korea and China.
The agreement among Japan, South Korea and the US formalized plans for regular military training among the three, which over the past year or so have included drills to shoot down missiles and hunt for submarines. The US and its two allies are also looking to enhance senior-level security consultations and build on an agreement to share real-time data on North Korea’s missile launches.
“These are unprecedented steps for our trilateral security partnership,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said ahead of the three-way meeting when talking about the deal.
Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said after the signing, “We will continue to contribute to regional peace and stability by continuing our efforts to strengthen trilateral cooperation” based on this agreement.
The US and Japan will have a separate session of talks expected to include the first minister-level discussions between the two about “extended deterrence,” officials say. That refers to the long-standing US commitment to use all of its military power to defend Japan including the potential use of nuclear weapons.
The US delegation is led by Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. A document on extended deterrence is expected to be produced from the talks, and could include potential scenarios that would necessitate the US intervening to protect Japan, according to the Yomiuri newspaper.
In addition, the US and Japan are looking at altering the operational structure of their military alliance struck in the wake of Tokyo’s defeat in World War Two to better the American military with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
The US-Japan extended deterrence dialogue began in 2010 as a forum for government officials to discuss in detail how US military assets, including nuclear weapons, can deter threats to Japan and scenarios in which they might be used.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said in an interview with Bloomberg News last month the talks were designed to establish systems among the three to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and to make those systems “irreversible.”
Closer military ties between North Korea and Russia amid Moscow’s war in Ukraine have given fresh momentum to security cooperation among the US and its two allies. It has also spurred warming ties between South Korea and Japan, who are trying to put aside long-running diplomatic disputes.
The military rise of China, North Korean missile development and Russia’s belligerence have created one of the most challenging security environments in East Asia in recent decades.
Cooperation among the US and its two powerful allies has reached some of the strongest levels after facing troubles during Donald Trump’s presidency. He caused friction with Tokyo and Seoul by demanding hefty spending increases for hosting US troops.
Trump also scaled back or halted major joint training drills while he held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim modernized his missile arsenal, advanced his new nuclear warheads and increased his stockpile of fissile material during Trump’s tenure.
On Monday, Japan will host a meeting of the foreign ministers of the so-called Quad group that includes Australia, India and the US and is seen as a way to counter Beijing’s assertiveness in the region. China has lambasted the Quad as a mechanism to contain its global rise.
--With assistance from Soo-Hyang Choi and Daniel Flatley.
(Updates with start of talks.)
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