US, Japan, South Korea Collaborate on Missile Defenses Against China and North Korea

At a conference this week in Maryland, the US, Japan, and South Korea intend to make historic announcements about strengthening bilateral security ties. 

These will include regular joint military drills and the exchange of intelligence regarding ballistic missile threats from China and North Korea. 

After years of tense relationships caused by Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea, US officials and observers claim that Tokyo and Seoul’s relations have dramatically improved. This is reflected in the unprecedented moves. 

A historic reconciliation that analysts believe might usher in a new era for all three nations has been fuelled by a shared concern about China’s assertive actions in the region and North Korea’s expanding missile arsenal.

The three countries met separately for the first time at a summit on Friday, when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida were guests of President Joe Biden at Camp David in Maryland. 

Prior gatherings have taken place on the fringes of significant multilateral conferences. Additionally, it is the first time since 2015 that foreign leaders have visited Camp David. 

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US Efforts to Strengthen South Korea-Japan Defense Relations

According to Auslin, plans for real-time intelligence sharing among the three nations to protect against potential missile attacks should help build trust between Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan is a self-governing island, but China claims it as part of its territory and hasn’t ruled out using force to reunite it with the mainland. 

China has observed that some exclusive groupings are being put together for the sake of regional security’ only to escalate hostilities and jeopardize the strategic security of other nations. 

Although efforts by various US administrations to promote closer defense relations between South Korea and Japan have been unsuccessful, progress has been made.

Officials in the Biden administration are confident that they can prevail this time by putting in place long-term efforts that include routine discussions about technology, defense, and other topics. 

The objective is to establish long-lasting relationships that endure past the terms of each country’s current leaders.

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Source: www.msn.com