In a strategic move aimed at countering China’s growing influence, the leaders of Japan, South Korea, and the United States are convening this week at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

This historic summit marks a significant step towards quelling the longstanding animosity between Japan and South Korea, which Beijing has historically exploited as part of its divide and conquer strategy.

The leaders aim to project unity and announce a series of defense, economic, and diplomatic agreements designed to challenge China’s geopolitical dominance.

US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will gather on Friday for talks aimed at strengthening ties and presenting a unified front.

The leaders are expected to unveil defense cooperation, economic collaboration, and diplomatic initiatives geared towards pushing back against China’s expanding presence in the region.

Christopher Johnstone, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and former CIA analyst, remarked, “China, they will certainly not say anything positive and will be very critical of the trilateral statement.

They have always seen the difficulties between South Korea and Japan as a freebie for them, one where they wouldn’t have to work very hard to split the allies. Now that that has been repaired, the Chinese see very little advantage.”

Potential outcomes

While this isn’t the first time the three leaders have met, it is the first standalone summit of its kind, underscoring the gravity of the occasion.

Potential outcomes of the summit, colloquially referred to as “deliverables,” include a collective security agreement, joint military exercises, enhanced communication channels, frequent military dialogues, deeper cooperation in supply chains and emerging technologies, increased people-to-people exchanges, and a commitment to holding trilateral summits on an annual basis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of the trilateral cooperation, stating, “Strengthening our trilateral cooperation is critical to delivering for our people, for the region and for the world,” after meetings with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.

China, not taking this development lightly, recently engaged in a three-way meeting with North Korea and Russia’s defense ministers.

It also attempted to foster closer ties with South Korea and Japan, signaling its desire to disrupt the unity of the trilateral group. However, analysts suggest that these efforts might fall short due to the significance of the strengthened alliance.