The United States, Japan and South Korea have condemned China’s “dangerous and aggressive behaviour” and “illegal claims” in maritime matters, in a joint statement issued on Friday against the backdrop of tensions between Beijing and the Philippines over a disputed atoll.
“We strongly oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific region,” said the leaders of the three countries, meeting for an unprecedented summit at Camp David, Maryland.
“We reaffirm the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” they added.
The three countries will strengthen their military cooperation, which will include a “multi-year programme of joint exercises” as well as a “commitment” to consult each other in crisis situations, the White House’s top security adviser Jake Sullivan assured earlier today.
In particular, the three states will set up a joint consultation mechanism to coordinate their responses to threats in the Indo-Pacific region or against one of them, US President Joe Biden announced on Friday.
““We’ve all committed to swiftly consult with each other in response to threats to any one of our countries from whatever source it occurs,” Biden told reporters alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David, near Washington.
