The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit opened in Lima, the capital of Peru, earlier this week. Senior US diplomats reiterated their desire to strengthen partnerships with key Indo-Pacific allies such as Tokyo and Seoul, aiming to further institutionalize trilateral cooperation among the US, Japan, and South Korea. The Biden administration previously expressed its intention to formalize the alliance between the three countries by establishing a secretariat.
Before the trilateral summit involving the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Lima on Thursday, November 14. In the afternoon, he held separate bilateral meetings with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Dae-yeol and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
Secretary Blinken acknowledged the importance of the US-South Korea and US-Japan alliances as cornerstones of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. “Our relationship is stronger than ever before, serving as a cornerstone for peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific,” Blinken told Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya. “It also lays the foundation for partnering on global issues of common concern worldwide.”
President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and South Korean President Yoon Suk-joon on Friday, November 15, for a trilateral leadership meeting. This meeting comes after the three leaders last convened in August last year at the Davis Camp in Washington D.C.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Krintenbrink, further emphasized Washington’s desire to formalize and institutionalize the trilateral relationship between the US, Japan, and South Korea. He mentioned the importance of deepening cooperation among the three nations to promote peace, prosperity, and security in the entire Indo-Pacific region and the world.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the trilateral cooperation among the US, Japan, and South Korea will build upon the progress achieved since last year’s Davis Camp summit. “We will focus on ensuring that the trilateral relationship becomes institutionalized, becoming a lasting feature of US policy in the Indo-Pacific region,” Sullivan added.
Given that the APEC summit is taking place shortly after the US election, with Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump winning and set to return to the White House, there is much anticipation regarding potential international geopolitical shifts following the new government’s inauguration.
The Biden administration’s efforts to enhance and institutionalize the US-Japan-South Korea partnership have been visible earlier this year. In September, Secretary Blinken revealed plans to establish a trilateral cooperation secretariat to formalize and ensure the sustainability of their collaborative efforts.
During the meeting, Blinken discussed with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Dae-yeol and then-Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa the necessity of further integrating trilateral cooperation to address ongoing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and other regional security issues.
Secretary Blinken is set to deliver a speech at the APEC summit on Friday, where he is expected to emphasize strengthening cooperation with allies and maintaining the importance of the rules-based international order.
Founded in 1989, APEC is an informal organization composed of Pacific Rim economies aimed at promoting free trade. Currently, APEC has 21 member economies, representing 50% of global GDP, about 40% of the world’s population, covering 47% of global trade, and 62% of economic output.
However, agreements reached at APEC summits lack substantive legal force and serve as mere exhortations to member economies to endeavor to implement the consensus and goals agreed upon at the meetings.
The 2024 APEC summit, hosted by Peru for the third time, focuses on the theme “empower, include, growth,” discussing enhancing open, free, and inclusive trade as well as promoting global energy transition. The summit also offers opportunities for various bilateral and multilateral meetings involving representatives from participating countries.
Lima previously hosted APEC summits in 2008 and 2016. The 2025 APEC summit is scheduled to be held in South Korea.