US, Japan, and South Korea Forge Trilateral Defense Alliance First of its Kind in 15 Years

In a move reflecting the growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, Japan, and South Korea have signed a historic security cooperation agreement. This memorandum, signed on Sunday, institutionalizes the trilateral defense ties between the three nations, ensuring sustained policy consultations, information sharing, and joint military exercises. This meeting marks the "first of its kind in 15 years," as reported by CNN, and comes nearly a year after a landmark summit hosted by US President Joe Biden at Camp David.

The defense chiefs of the US, Japan, and South Korea met on July 28, pledging to bolster their cooperation to deter nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. This agreement, formalized through a joint statement, reaffirms the unwavering nature of their new era of trilateral cooperation. Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara emphasized the solidity of this agreement, noting that their trilateral cooperation would remain steadfast despite changing international circumstances. He made these remarks following his meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won Sik.

China's increasing assertiveness in the East and South China Seas has been a significant concern for these nations. The Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework explicitly states their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to alter the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters. The tensions have been particularly high over China's maritime claims in the South China Sea and its confrontations with Philippine vessels. Additionally, Chinese vessels have repeatedly intruded into Japanese territorial waters around the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, further heightening regional tensions.

The defense ministers' agreement to institutionalize their trilateral security cooperation was first made in June during a meeting in Singapore. Following this, the US, Japan, and South Korea conducted a new annual joint military exercise called "Freedom Edge" in June, covering aerial, naval, and cyber domains in areas including the East China Sea.

In a related development, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with their Japanese counterparts, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, in Tokyo. They aimed to deepen US-Japan defense cooperation, issuing a joint statement that identified China's political, economic, and military coercion as the greatest strategic challenge in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Austin announced a significant reorganization of US forces in Japan, describing it as the most substantial change since their creation. This reconstitution will see US forces in Japan report directly to the Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, enhancing their military ties significantly.

The joint statement repeatedly highlighted concerns about China's actions, including its attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea, its provocative activities in the South China Sea, and its support for Russia's defense industrial base. These pointed remarks underscore the shared apprehensions of the US, Japan, and South Korea regarding China's growing influence and assertiveness in the region.