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Could US-Japan-South Korea meeting lead to Washington Declaration’s extension?
- Much of the meeting, held on the sidelines of the coming G7 summit, is likely to focus on the challenges posed by China, North Korea and Russia
- Of particular interest to Japan will be its participation in the long-standing US-South Korea nuclear consultative group, some analysts suggest
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A meeting of the leaders of Japan, South Korea and the United States on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima later this week will be an opportunity to underline the growing unity of the three governments, analysts say, as well as their shared commitment to regional and global security.
Much of the three-day trilateral meeting, which starts on Friday, will inevitably be taken up with handshakes and expressions of mutual support – at least in public – in the face of challenges posed by China, North Korea and Russia.
US President Joe Biden is likely to be visibly relieved that Washington’s closest security partners in northeast Asia are once again getting along instead of constantly sniping at each other.
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Observers also anticipate that the three-way meeting ahead of the main summit could potentially see the extension of the bilateral Washington Declaration – signed when South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met Biden in the US capital in April – into a trilateral arrangement.
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Beijing denounces US and South Korea plans for nuclear submarine
Beijing denounces US and South Korea plans for nuclear submarine
Of particular interest to Tokyo would be participation in the long-standing US-South Korea nuclear consultative group, they suggested, and adding Japan’s voice to discussions on nuclear and strategic planning.
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