The United States on Monday reaffirmed its defense commitments to key Asian allies Japan and South Korea, while all three countries voiced support for Taiwan ahead of this week’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Analysts say Washington’s allies are concerned that Trump could offer Beijing concessions on issues including Taiwan and trade in exchange for an economic breakthrough when he welcomes Xi to the White House in Washington on Thursday.
Officials said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung are both eager to meet Trump during the UN General Assembly in New York, where the three leaders are scheduled to address the gathering on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks in New York on Monday with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
In a joint statement, the ministers pledged to resist what appeared to be a reference to China’s “economic coercion and non-market policies and practices,” as well as “arbitrary export restrictions that disrupt supply chains.”
They also welcomed the creation of a new three-way consultation framework focused on economic security, an initiative intended to reinforce supply chains and deepen cooperation on critical technologies.
‘IRONCLAD COMMITMENTS’
The statement said the US had “reiterated its ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK,” supported by America’s unmatched military power, including its nuclear forces. Washington also reaffirmed its extended-deterrence commitments to both countries. ROK is the abbreviation for the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official name.
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The ministers said they remained committed to strong security cooperation and stressed the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
They additionally “expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.”
Taiwan’s government welcomed the statement.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the renewed public backing from the three countries for peace and stability in the strait demonstrated that the issue had become a “strong consensus of the international community.”
On North Korea, the ministers “reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” and urged Pyongyang to return to dialogue.
Beyond Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China, analysts said Japan and South Korea would closely examine any trade agreements emerging from the Trump-Xi summit and assess how they might affect their competitiveness against China.
They warned that even a limited easing of trade restrictions on Beijing could weaken the two allies’ economic positions.
Takaichi angered Beijing last year by suggesting that Japan could be pulled into a Taiwan conflict. Meanwhile, Seoul and Washington have been working out the details of a $350 billion South Korean investment package in the United States under a trade agreement reached by the allies last year.
A South Korean opposition lawmaker on Monday demanded parliamentary oversight of the investment plan, arguing that negotiations on energy projects could expose Seoul to an unfair share of the financial risk.