This was seen by the United States as an opportunity to strengthen and demonstrate its Asia-Pacific ally system, and many issues related to China were discussed during the meeting. On the same day, Japanese and Korean officials absent from the planned joint press conference of th

Source: Global Times

[Global Times Special Correspondent in South Korea and Japan Zhang Jing Li Xiao] On the 17th local time, the United States, Japan and South Korea held deputy ministerial diplomatic consultations on Washington after four years. This was seen by the United States as an opportunity to strengthen and demonstrate its Asia-Pacific ally system, and many issues related to China were discussed during the meeting. However, this "alliance show" ended in an embarrassing ending due to the quarrel between South Korea and Japan on " Dokdo " (called " Takeshima " in Japan). On the same day, Japanese and Korean officials absent from the planned joint press conference of the tripartites, leaving U.S. Executive Deputy Secretary of State Sherman to appear alone. There are many conflicts between South Korea and Japan, and there is no possibility of reconciliation in the short term. There are also many differences between the United States and South Korea. Moon Jae-in The government vigorously promoted the declaration of the end of the war on the peninsula, but the US side had a negative attitude. South Korea said it was working hard to form a good relationship with China, but it was criticized and warned by former senior US officials. A "alliance show" has become a platform for exposing differences. The United States' plan to pull allies to suppress China may not be so "satisfactory".

The United States wants to cool down, but South Korea and Japan are still arguing

"The United States launched an alliance show with Japan and South Korea was frustrated - American diplomats failed to convince their Asian allies to share a press conference stage." The Associated Press reported on the 317th that Sherman's embarrassment said that she answered questions from the media in the United States, Japan and South Korea alone. Sherman explained that there were some differences between South Korea and Japan that needed to be resolved continuously because an incident that had nothing to do with the talks forced the press conference to change its form.

In the view of South Korea's "Korea Ilbo", Sherman is doing his best not to let the South Korea-US-Japan cooperation that the Biden- government attaches great importance to, showing signs of wavering. She insisted that the talks reached a constructive tripartite agreement, which fully demonstrated the importance and strength of the US, Japan and South Korea trilateral model. US Bloomberg commented that Sherman tried to downplay the conflict between Japan and South Korea, but the scene of the US diplomat facing reporters alone showed that the United States' efforts to show the unity of its two close allies was contrary to its wishes.

Neither Korea nor Japan seems to have the intention to cool things down. South Korea's Asia Times reported on the 18th that Choi Jong-kwan, the first official of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Minister) told South Korean reporters on the day when the joint press conference failed. The Japanese side expressed its position of not being able to attend the press conference on the grounds that Kim Chang-yong, director of the Korean Police Department, recently visited "Doudao".

Japanese Kyodo News also quoted sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Kenry Mori, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, talked with Choi Jong-kyung on the 17th, protesting on the incident of the director of the South Korean Police Department landing on the island, and urging the South Korean side to make a proper response. Kim Changlong boarded the Dokdo Island by helicopter on the 16th. It was the current director of the South Korean Police Department who landed on the island after 12 years since former Police Department Director Kang Hee-luo in 2009.

htmlOn 18, the confrontation between Japan and South Korea continued across the air after the meeting in Washington. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroichi Matsuno said at a press conference that day: "Considering our position, the matter surrounding "Baoshima" is unacceptable. In the case of strong protests to South Korea, we think it is inappropriate to hold a joint press conference (with South Korea)." A relevant person from the Japanese government said: "It seems that nothing happened and it is strange to meet with reporters together."

Blue House core persons once again emphasized on the 18th that "Doudao" is an inherent territory of South Korea in history, geography and international law, and there is no problem with Kim Changlong's visit to "Doudao" in one fell swoop. Yonhap News Agency reported that South Korea's Blue House said that if the Japanese side did absent from the joint press conference between South Korea, the United States and Japan due to Kim Changlong's recent visit to "Doudao", then this situation can be said to be very rare. This may indirectly criticize Japan's behavior for being unreasonable.

According to South Korea's YTN TV station on the 18th, the South Korean defense chief suddenly visited Yuling Island on the same day (both "Dukuo" and Yuling Island are both under the jurisdiction of Yuling County) to inspect the local naval and air force combat readiness. Yonhap News Agency reported on the title "South Korea Defense Minister inspected forces near islands stationed in Dokdo." However, the South Korean Ministry of Defense denied that the inspection was related to Japan's protests.

"an unusual public warning" to the tripartite alliance

In fact, the contradiction between South Korea and Japan is far more than the "Doudao" issue." Nikkei Shimbun " disclosed on the 18th that after the US-Japan-South Korea talks, Kenra Mori and Choi Jong-kyung talked for about 1 hour and 45 minutes in Washington. In addition to protesting on landing on the island, Kenya Mori also asked the South Korean side to respond effectively to the issue of labor recruitment and "comfort women" in the World War II. It is reported that Japan and South Korea also have differences on issues such as South Korea's efforts to issue a declaration on the end of the peninsula. According to the news released by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Choi Jong-kan responded, "All Japan's claims about 'Doudao' are unacceptable." Yonhap News Agency reported that South Korea also conveyed its position on issues such as export restrictions on Japan and the discharge of nuclear sewage from Fukushima .

This is the first face-to-face meeting between Japan and South Korea's top leaders since Japanese Prime Minister Kisha Fumio took office. South Korea Economic commented that the cancellation of the joint press conference was unusual and showed a sharp opposition between South Korea and Japan. "Senior South Korea and Japan diplomats are blushing in front of the United States and have thick necks. The future relationship between South Korea and Japan is not optimistic." "Seoul Economy" commented that a worrying misfortune still happened. Originally, the South Korean government tried to improve South Korea-Japan relations with Kishida Cabinet as an opportunity, but now it seems that it is not easy to open up a new situation.

"South Korea and Japan publicly clashed in Washington, slapped the United States in the face." South Korea's "Asian Economy" commented that this dramatic scene not only confirmed that South Korea-Japan relations have fallen to the bottom after the Moon Jae-in government came to power, but also made the United States, which tried to pull allies against China, lose face. In order to strengthen regional alliance relations, the Biden administration "resurrected" South Korea, the United States and Japan's vice ministerial diplomatic consultations four years later, but this incident seemed futile.

The United States did discuss many issues related to China with Japan and South Korea this time. According to Sherman, U.S., Japanese and Korean officials discussed the so-called "freedom of navigation and overflight" in the South China Sea, and the democratic values and human rights that the three countries are committed to promoting, and reiterated their commitment to upholding "inclusive, freedom, peace, stability and openness". The Japanese news agency reported that the three countries also exchanged views on the trends of China, which continues to expand its military power, and reached an agreement on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Associated Press commented that the United States has been committed to building alliances against China in the Indo-Pacific region. The cancelled joint press conference seemed to be an unusual public warning to remind the limitations of the U.S., Japan and South Korea alliance.

said in Washington that he had a good relationship with China, but South Korean officials were criticized for being criticized for

In this alliance the United States wants to build, not only the contradictions between South Korea and Japan are sharp, but the United States and South Korea are also divided. An important task of Choi Jong-jian's visit is to discuss with the United States the declaration of the end of the peninsula that the Moon Jae-in government is focusing on promoting. Yonhap News Agency reported that when asked whether the US agreed to issue a declaration on the end of the peninsula at this stage, Sherman said that the relevant consultations are going smoothly and will continue to be carried out in the future, and refused to make a direct response.

"Korea Economy" commented that this is obviously different from the previous statement that the South Korean government "will soon have good news." The Korean Ilbo said that in two months after Moon Jae-in proposed to issue the declaration of the end of the war on the peninsula, South Korea and the United States had more than 10 high-level talks, but the United States had never mentioned the declaration of the end of the war in its written materials. In the press release after the talks, the US listed the words "Indo-Pacific", "rules-based international order", and "guaranteeing a flexible supply chain" against China. Washington diplomatic source said: "This shows what the United States is most concerned about. The United States convened a tripartite meeting between the United States, Japan and South Korea to deal with China. South Korea's offensive promotion of the final war deviates from the United States' goals."

During his visit to the United States, Choi Jong-jian was asked by reporters at an event, "How does South Korea view China." He replied: "(China) is a strategic partner. We are working hard to form a good relationship with China. South Korean citizens enjoy huge benefits from the Chinese market. On the North Korean issue, we also need to cooperate with Beijing."

The Korean Ilbo reported that a former senior US official who attended the event on the same day responded directly and sharply to Choi Jong-kyung's speech. "If you want to continue the (US-South Korea) alliance, you must truly form an alliance to deal with China's challenges," said McEvan, a former senior assistant to the National Security Council in the Obama administration.The US and South Korea governments should coordinate the understanding, evaluation, strategies and policies of China between the two countries through special and unofficial channels. This is the work that really needs to be done. "Trump Assistant Minister of Asia-Pacific Security Affairs of the Ministry of Defense during the administration, Xue Ruifu, even said threateningly: "One side regards this as a profound and important challenge, but the other side does not accept it. This kind of alliance relationship cannot exist. "

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