New Analysis
The defense chiefs of the United States, Japan, and South reached a consensus in Singapore on June 11 to deepen security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
At the trilateral meeting, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup also unanimously opposed any unilateral actions that seek to alter the status quo and increase tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
This is the first in-person meeting between the three defense heads since the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting in November 2019.
In a joint statement, the ministers strongly condemned North Korea’s continued launch of ballistic missiles, addressed the growing military threat from Beijing, and emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait….