TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The US, Japan, and South Korea gathered on Wednesday to deepen security and energy cooperation while voicing concern over rising tensions around Taiwan, according to a US Department of State press release.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Ankara, stressing that tighter coordination would boost economic resilience and regional security. They also highlighted growing ties between NATO and Indo-Pacific partners on defense, energy, and countering cybersecurity and hybrid threats, per CNA.
The ministers signed a memorandum on civil nuclear cooperation to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors in partner countries. They also cited progress in economic security and critical technologies while opposing economic coercion for political leverage, per UDN.
All three governments pledged to secure and diversify supply chains to maintain navigational freedom by proxy. They also welcomed broadened consultations on international disaster relief.
The trio emphasized peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, expressing concern over increasingly frequent activities near Taiwan. They urged peaceful resolution and opposed unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said recently that China continues to engage in gray-zone activities against its neighbors, attempting to exert territorial influence under the pretense of enforcing law and order. China is the sole entity attempting to change the status quo and threaten regional stability.
