US-Japan “China undermines international order”… During the 2+2 talks, he picked up the cock and blamed it.

The United States and Japan issued a strong warning message at the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense (2+2 meetings), saying, “China’s actions that deviate from the existing international order are causing political, economic, military, and technical problems in the international community.” It also reaffirmed the importance of Korea-US-Japan cooperation for joint security, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, including the North Korean nuclear issue.

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, who arrived in Japan on the 15th, joined Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi for a ‘2+2 meeting’ starting at 3pm on the 16th. Proceeded. The conference mainly discussed ways to cope with China, which has emerged as a superpower that threatens the United States in various fields such as military and economy, strengthening maritime hegemony centering on the East and South China Seas.

In a statement after the meeting, the ministers of the two countries reaffirmed that “the US-Japan alliance is the cornerstone for peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.” He also stressed that the United States has a firm will to defend Japan by mobilizing all its capabilities, including nuclear weapons, and said it would cooperate to establish an international order based on the’free and open Indo-Pacific’.

Both countries stated’China’ in the announcement and criticized it intensely. He pointed out the issue of the’Marine Police Law’ that recently enabled the use of weapons by the sea and police, saying, “The coercive and unstable behavior within the region is destroying the international order based on rules. He also mentioned that the Senkaku Islands (Chinese name Diaoyudao, 釣魚島), where Japan and China are having a sovereignty dispute, confirm that the region is subject to Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty.

The two countries also said, “We shared serious concerns about the human rights situation in Hong Kong and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”

The fact that China was directly addressed in this announcement shows that the feeling of crisis of the Joe Biden government, which is looking at the rise of China, is that strong. The two countries did not specify the country in the joint announcement of the ‘2+2 Conference’ in 2019, fearing that it would overstimulate China. In the joint statement of the’quad’ summit of the four countries held on the 12th of the United States, Japan, Australia and India, they actually targeted China, emphasizing “free and open India-Pacific”, but did not mention it directly.

Regarding the North Korean issue, the ministers said, “Reaffirming North Korea’s resolution for complete denuclearization, and urges North Korea to abide by its obligations under the resolution of the UN Security Council.” It also revealed that they sympathized with the necessity of solving the problem of Japanese abduction by North Korea. He emphasized that “the cooperation between the United States, Japan and Korea is very important to the stability, peace, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region that we share.”

At the press conference that followed, when asked about North Korean Labor Vice President Kim Yeo-jeong’s warning to the United States, “don’t make a break,” Blincoln said, “Here’s here to share opinions with allies on how to overcome the North Korean threat “I came” and refrained from responding specifically. “The US policy of North Korea is being reviewed over all possible options,” he said. “We will respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile issues and human rights issues at the level of an alliance.”

The Tokyo Olympics were also discussed at the meeting between Foreign Minister Motegi and Secretary of State Blincoln, which was held prior to the ‘2+2 meeting’. The United States said, “Supporting Japan’s determination to host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, we decided to cooperate closely for the success of the event.” In addition, he added that, considering the situation of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19), Trauma Motegi decided to visit the United States as soon as possible.

Japan is an atmosphere that gives meaning to the choice of Asia as the first place to visit after the US Secretary of State and Defense took office. Foreign Minister Motegi said in an interview that day, “The visit of the Secretary of State and Defense together in Japan shortly after the inauguration of Biden’s regime shows the fact that the US-Japan alliance is so important.” NHK interpreted it as “the aim is to show the transition from the former administration of Donald Trump to a foreign policy that emphasizes international cooperation from’American First’.”

Ministers Blincoln and Austin will move to Korea on the afternoon of the 17th to attend the Korea-US Foreign Affairs and Defense (2+2) Ministerial Meeting on the 18th. As the announcement of the US-Japan talks came out stronger than expected, it is noteworthy to what level the mention of China and North Korea will be made in the US-Korea announcement. Professor Nakayama Toshihiro (中山俊宏), a professor at Japan’s Keio University, who is an expert on US-Japan relations, said, “This meeting confirmed the common perception of the US and Japan about the threat from China.” “Can be limited to very limited cooperation.”

Tokyo = Correspondent Lee Young-hee [email protected]