US, Japan, and South Korea join forces on tech and defense to counter China and North Korea threats at historic summit

The United States, Japan, and South Korea are set to launch a series of joint initiatives on technology and defense during a summit at Camp David this week. The gathering, hosted by US President Joe Biden and attended by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, aims to strengthen regional cooperation in response to shared concerns about China's rise and North Korea's threats.

While a formal security arrangement is not expected, the three countries will establish a mutual understanding of regional responsibilities and a three-way hotline for crisis communication. This marks the beginning of an annual gathering between the leaders, formalizing their ties and cooperation.

The summit comes after South Korea and Japan held their first joint summit in 12 years earlier this year, signaling efforts to ease tensions and mend diplomatic relations. The United States already has separate collective defense arrangements with both Tokyo and Seoul, but it seeks closer collaboration between the two countries in light of growing concerns about China's power and its intentions.

While a three-way security framework is considered unlikely, the countries are taking steps to enhance coordination and ballistic missile defense. The summit is also expected to result in a joint statement addressing China's desire to change the status of Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.

The statement will emphasize the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The exact language of the statement is still being negotiated, but it aims to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing while expressing the countries' concerns.

The US administration views the summit as an opportunity to institutionalize progress made in the relationship between Japan and South Korea, making it more difficult for future leaders to reverse. However, concerns remain about the durability of the improved relations, with skepticism in Japan that it will last and President Yoon's efforts still not widely popular in South Korea.

The summit is expected to yield new defense initiatives, including deeper collaboration on military exercises and missile defense. While falling short of NATO's Article 5 language, which considers an attack on one as an attack on all, the joint statement is expected to recognize the interconnectedness of the three countries' security.

Overall, this summit aims to strengthen cooperation and coordination among the United States, Japan, and South Korea as they navigate regional challenges and shared concerns about China's rise.