On Thursday, July 18, the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a trilateral chief of staff meeting in Tokyo, Japan. The top defense officials from the three countries jointly condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to “use force to change the status quo,” signaling a united front in response to the threats posed by China and North Korea in the Indo-Pacific region. High-ranking officials from Japan and South Korea released positive signals and are working to elevate the defense relationship between the two countries to new heights.
According to a joint statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense on Thursday, Yoshihide Yoshida, the Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff of the Japan Ministry of Defense, along with his counterparts – General Charles Q Brown, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Kim Myung-soo, Chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued warnings during the trilateral meeting that the security environment is deteriorating, with China attempting to “change the status quo by force” in the East China Sea and South China Sea. They hoped to discuss how to ensure peace and stability in the region.
The leaders of the three countries highlighted the challenges posed by China’s increasingly dangerous and aggressive behavior, emphasizing the importance of strengthening defense relations between Japan and South Korea in upholding international order.
Furthermore, the three chiefs of staff reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, considering it an essential factor for international security and prosperity, and called for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues.
The joint statement condemned North Korea for continuing to develop its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs and for its growing military cooperation with Russia.
Yoshihide Yoshida stated during the meeting, “From this perspective, demonstrating our strong unity domestically and globally as three countries to ensure regional peace and stability is extremely vital.”
According to a report by CNN on Thursday, prior to the trilateral meeting, Yoshihide Yoshida and Kim Myung-soo held discussions in Tokyo on Wednesday, July 17. According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the last such meeting took place in 2016.
The chiefs of staff of the three countries confirmed progress in trilateral security cooperation since the Davos Summit in August 2023 and the Defense Ministers’ Meeting in June 2024.
On June 27, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea initiated the inaugural “Freedom Edge” trilateral exercise to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The three countries agreed to conduct this exercise during the Camp David Summit in August 2023.
The first “Freedom Edge” trilateral exercise aimed to enhance interoperability between the forces. Multiple ships and aircraft from Japan, South Korea, and the United States participated in the exercise, focusing on cooperative ballistic missile defense, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, maritime interception, and defensive network training.
During Thursday’s trilateral meeting, the leaders of the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the “Freedom Edge” exercise and discussed other ways to institutionalize trilateral cooperation to support a shared regional vision of peace, stability, and deterrence.
They also agreed to hold a trilateral summit of heads of state and government in South Korea in 2025.