US President Joe Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Seok-gil at Camp David yesterday for a tripartite summit that he described as “historic” and sent a resounding message of unity to China.

The three leaders said at a press conference that Washington, Tokyo and Seoul would consult systematically and directly in the future to deal with “threats”.

Biden praised the “political courage” of his guests, who are making efforts to overcome historical differences stemming from the period of Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula (1910-1945).

“We are not talking about a day, a week or a month. It’s about decades” of cooperation, the US president assured, referring to the tripartite summit, which sparked criticism from Beijing.

In a joint statement released Friday, the United States, Japan and South Korea condemned Beijing’s “dangerous and aggressive behavior” and “illegal maritime claims” amid tensions between China and the Philippines over a disputed atoll in the South China Sea. .

“We strongly oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific maritime region,” the three leaders said in the joint statement, in which they also underscored the “importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

The leaders of the US, Japan and South Korea called on North Korea to “give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs”. They also announced multi-year joint military exercises and the creation of a top-level communication channel, a “red phone” for developments in the region, where there is concern over North Korea’s nuclear program and a possible Chinese military invasion of Taiwan.

Accepting comment of the Chinese Foreign Ministry

Beijing did not hide its annoyance with the trilateral summit at Camp David. Addressing the leaders of South Korea and Japan, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently pointedly commented: “You can bleach your hair or make your nose thinner as much as you want. You will never become European or Western.”

“We need to know where our roots are,” he said, urging Tokyo and Seoul to work with Beijing.

The White House is well aware that a section of public opinion both in Japan and, above all, in South Korea does not look favorably on the Tokyo-Seoul rapprochement. The biggest challenge for Washington is to continue the tripartite cooperation after the change of people in power. For example, South Korean President Yun’s term ends in 2027 and he is not eligible for re-election.