Eye on China, Biden Pulls Japan and South Korea Closer

[BlueWavePsych]

Source: NYT

Now, Tokyo and Seoul are trying to quickly move past seemingly irresolvable disputes over the bitter history between them, as Russian aggression against Ukraine highlights their own vulnerabilities in a region dominated by China.
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The gathering sense of threat has destroyed complacency in Seoul and Tokyo that had been a hurdle to forming a tighter three-way partnership with the United States, which has acknowledged for years that it cannot counter China alone. And it has pushed both Asian capitals to play a more active role in Europe, where they have provided aid to Ukraine and pursued closer ties with NATO.
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Kim Tae-hyo, a deputy national security adviser to Mr. Yoon, said that the South Korean administration expected the summit to “establish a key structure of trilateral cooperation and institutionalize it.”
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Since taking office last year, Mr. Yoon has emphasized improving ties with Japan and aligning South Korea more closely with Washington and Tokyo in confronting China, Russia and North Korea.


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/world/asia/camp-david-summit-japan-south-korea-biden.html

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More: U.S., Japan and South Korea to announce new hotline at summit
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/08/17/japan/politics/us-japan-and-south-korea-to-announce-new-hotline-at-summit/

Japan, South Korea and the United States are looking to establish a hotline for urgent communications, following a trilateral leaders summit in Washington set for Friday, according to a senior U.S. official.

“We're going to invest in technology to have a three-way hotline for the leaders and others inside their governments to communicate,” White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell said during an event at a Washington think tank on Wednesday.

Related: Japan F-35 fighters to fly to Australia in first deployment abroad
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/08/17/japan/japan-f-35-fighters-to-fly-to-australia-in-first-deployment-abroad/

Defense and security ties between Tokyo and Canberra continue to expand at a rapid pace, with Japan set to send its F-35 fighter aircraft to northern Australia next week on their first-ever overseas deployment.

An Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) contingent of four F-35As, supported by an aerial tanker, three transport aircraft and about 160 personnel, will take part in a long-range navigation and aerial refueling training exercise from next Monday through Sept. 2, the ASDF announced earlier this week.