U.S. PresidentJoe Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday at the APEC Summit in Peru. The leaders sought to solidify diplomatic progress amid rising tensions in Asia and potential shifts in alliances under a Trump administration.
U.S. President Joe Biden met with the leaders of South Korea and Japan on Friday to reinforce recent diplomatic progress as concerns grow over potential disruptions to alliances under a new Donald Trump administration.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Lima, Peru, brought Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba together for the first time in person. U.S. relations with Beijing are expected to become more contentious after Trump’s inauguration on 20 January, with his proposed steep tariff increases posing risks to China’s economy.
The gathering comes amid rising tensions in Asia, fueled by North Korea’s troop deployments to Russia in support of the war in Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, and dimming hopes for a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict with South Korea.
“Japan, the ROK (South Korea), and the United States strongly condemn the decisions by the leaders of the DPRK (North Korea) and Russia to dangerously expand Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” stated a joint declaration, referring to South Korea and North Korea by their official names, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Following the meeting, the three nations announced the establishment of a Trilateral Secretariat to institutionalize their cooperation beyond regular meetings, as explained by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan during a press briefing aboard Air Force One on Thursday.
Strengthening ties between Japan and South Korea, long strained by historical tensions stemming from Japan’s colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945, has been highlighted as a significant diplomatic success of Biden’s presidency.
Biden emphasized the importance of this trilateral relationship as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the region, though Beijing has dismissed this perspective. In parallel, Yoon held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, while Ishiba and Biden were scheduled for separate discussions with Xi during the APEC summit.
“I truly believe the cooperation of our countries will be the foundation to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for many years to come,” Biden said at the start of the three-way meeting.
Additionally, the three nations committed to advancing collaboration with the Philippines in key areas such as ports, energy, and transportation, according to their joint statement.
The region remains uncertain about Trump’s dedication to trilateral initiatives, given his “America First” stance, skepticism of U.S. support for traditional allies, and his previous diplomatic overtures to North Korea.
“Transitions have historically been time periods when the DPRK has taken provocative actions, both before and after the transition from one president to a new president,” Sullivan said. “I do not think we can count on a period of quiet with the DPRK.”
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabi...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticised the United States following a series of Russian attacks that killed more than 70 people over two days, arguing that Washington is not doing enough to help Kyiv counter Moscow's continued assault.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment