In a bid to usher in a “new era of trilateral partnership,” leaders from the United States, Japan, and South Korea have unveiled an array of expanded collaborative initiatives this week, including measures to address economic concerns. While some onlookers perceive this bolstered partnership as directed towards China and North Korea, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized that its intent is not adversarial but rather aimed at advancing “a vision of the Indo-Pacific that is free, open, secure, and prosperous.”
Gathering at Camp David, located outside of Washington, D.C., the three nations have pledged to engage in swift consultations to harmonize responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting their mutual interests and security. To facilitate this, they intend to establish a “new commerce and industry ministers track,” convening annually to complement the scheduled meetings among leaders, foreign ministers, defense ministers, and national security advisors, which will also occur at least once a year.
Regarding trade matters, the trio plans to initiate a pilot early warning system designed to (1) expand the exchange of information and enhance policy coordination concerning potential disruptions to global supply chains and (2) prepare themselves more effectively to address and overcome economic coercion. The White House has underscored that this endeavor will build upon existing trilateral cooperation focused on supply chain resilience, with particular emphasis on semiconductors and batteries, technology security and standards, clean energy and energy security, biotechnology, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and scientific research. Similar early warning systems are already in operation with the European Union, and they are under consideration as part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
Furthermore, the three partners have laid out plans to intensify their cooperation in preventing the illegal export or theft of cutting-edge technologies abroad. To achieve this objective, they will launch inaugural exchanges between the U.S. Disruptive Technology Strike Force and their Japanese and Korean counterparts, fostering greater information sharing and coordination across enforcement agencies. Their commitment also extends to reinforcing cooperation on export controls to prevent the diversion of their technologies for military or dual-use purposes that could potentially jeopardize international peace and security.
