US, South Korea, and Japan Take New Steps Towards Joint Defense at Summit

(Patria) - The United States, Japan, and South Korea will launch a series of joint initiatives on technology, education, and defense when the leaders of the countries gather at Camp David this Friday, according to senior U.S. administration officials, Reuters reports.

While the summit is unlikely to produce a formal security arrangement obligating the nations to defend one another, they will agree to a mutual understanding of regional responsibilities and establish a three-way “hotline” for communication in times of crisis, officials said. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity.

U.S. President Joe Biden invited his counterparts, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the Asian nations work to mend their strained diplomatic ties in the face of greater regional threats related to China and North Korea. This will be the first annual gathering of the leaders of the three countries, which U.S. officials hope will formalize their ties and cooperation.

South Korea and Japan held their first joint summit in 12 years this March and took steps to ease tensions after years of disputes, including some related to Japan's occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. Washington has formal collective defense agreements with Tokyo and Seoul separately, but wants the two countries to work more closely to strengthen U.S. interests in the Pacific region.

“We expect some steps that will bring us closer in the security sphere,” one of the U.S. officials said, adding that it would “contribute to our collective security.”

However, the U.S. official added that it is “too much to ask, it is too far to fully expect a three-way security framework among each of us. However, we are taking steps where each of the countries understands the responsibility regarding regional security, and we are advancing new areas of coordination and ballistic missile defense, technology, which will be considered very significant.”

The summit is also expected to lead to a joint statement on concerns about China's desire to change the status of Taiwan. A joint statement from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea should include a call for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, an official said.

The content and other provisions are expected to be negotiated until the last moment.