The foreign ministers of the United States, South Korea, and Japan held a trilateral meeting in Manila on Wednesday, after which they reaffirmed the principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and pledged to strengthen trilateral cooperation among the three countries, while also emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, US Secretary of State Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi discussed issues such as trilateral defense cooperation, strengthening maritime security, promoting energy security, addressing cyber threats, and advancing peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia, during their meeting.
On the Taiwan Strait issue, the US State Department said in a press release that all three foreign ministers "emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait" and "expressed concern over China's recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific, noting insufficient prior notification."
The State Department statement also mentioned that the three countries pledged to "jointly oppose economic coercion and the weaponization of supply chains, promote risk management and diversification of critical supply chains," and broaden discussions on "the increasingly strategic importance of Arctic issues."
The South Korean Foreign Ministry noted upholding international law represented by the "UN Convention on the Law of the Sea" and safeguarding freedom of navigation and overflight in Southeast Asia and other parts of the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition, the three discussed recent developments on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea reiterated its commitment to the principle of denuclearization of the peninsula while maintaining a strong deterrent stance against North Korea, and agreed to keep close coordination on North Korea policy, jointly maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomatic means.