Camp David/Washington (dpa) – The US, Japan and South Korea are looking to show strength with new defense cooperation and send signals to China and North Korea. At the Camp David summit, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to expand cooperation in the economic and security fields. “This also includes annual military exercises in several areas,” Biden said in a joint news conference. Cooperation in the defense sector must be brought to an “unprecedented level”. Biden hailed a new “era of partnership” between countries and spoke of a “historic moment”.

The fact that Biden attaches great importance to new partnerships is already evident from the selection of venues. Camp David is the country residence of the US President near Washington. On the one hand it symbolizes peace and exile, on the other hand it represents diplomatic success. Camp David became so famous in 1978 when Israel’s Menachim Begin and Egypt’s Anwar el Sadat shook hands there in reconciliation. Even today, the agreement on the evacuation of the Sinai Peninsula is called “Camp David” for short. The host at the time was Jimmy Carter. For Biden, it was the first summit with foreign guests there.

The US wants to oppose China’s quest for power

Biden has made the Indo-Pacific region a policy priority. Indo-Pacific means the area from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The US wants to oppose China’s attempts to seize power in the region. Washington and other states are concerned about China’s trade practices and China’s expansionist drive. The United States and its partners are also concerned about North Korea’s repeated missile launches. Japan and South Korea are among the US’s most important allies in Asia. This joint alliance was a success for Biden only because the two countries actually have a somewhat frozen relationship for historical reasons. Recently, Seoul and Tokyo are getting closer.

In accordance with the special venue, Biden and his guests did not appear in their usual tie, but wore suits and shirts at the press conference. Biden appeared relaxed and also in a joking mood. When a journalist presented a whole list of questions instead of one, he said: “I’ll try to answer them all. I’m glad you’re not my law professor.”

Biden hopes to talk to Xi later this year

Biden tried to make it clear that the meeting was discussing broader security issues in the region. “The summit was not about China. That was not the purpose of the meeting, but China was of course discussed,” he stressed. And indeed – China was one of the dominant issues when the three men appeared in front of the press. In the summit’s final declaration, they also accused China of carrying out “dangerous and aggressive behavior” in the South China Sea. We “firmly oppose all unilateral attempts to change the status quo in Indo-Pacific waters”.

Tweet: https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1692628686321656102?s=20

Biden promised to talk to China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping later this year. “I hope and hope we will continue our talks in Bali in the autumn. That is my hope.” Biden and Xi last met in person on the Indonesian island of Bali on the sidelines of the G20 group of major industrialized and developing countries summit last November. New opportunities for bilateral talks between the two will emerge at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India in September. US-China relations have been at a low point for some time.

Obligation to consult, crisis hotlines and annual summits

With respect to North Korea, the three countries want to exchange real-time missile information and cooperate more closely on ballistic missile defense. South Korea’s neighbors and Japan rely on the US nuclear protective umbrella to deter North Korea, among other things. South Korean President Yoon in particular has repeatedly expressed concern for neighbors.

A kind of consultation obligation in security crises and establishment of a hotline for rapid exchange in crises were also agreed upon. There should also be an early warning system for possible problems in the supply chain. In addition, annual tripartite summits with the US, Japan and South Korea are now planned. “From now on, Camp David will be remembered as a historical site,” Yoon said referring to the summit results. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida said it was a great honor to add a new page to the Camp David history book with the summit.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was also discussed at the summit. In Biden’s opinion, this will have an impact beyond Europe – partners in Asia will understand that too. Such an attack could happen anywhere, Biden said. “If we keep quiet, what signal will it send to China regarding Taiwan?” asked the Democrats.

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