Japan, US, South Korea Voice Concerns Over China's Missile Test

The top diplomats of Japan, the United States, and South Korea on Tuesday voiced their concerns over a long-range ballistic missile test conducted by China earlier this week. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Turkey. According to a statement from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting covered a number of regional issues, including efforts to unilaterally change the status quo through force or intimidation. The three also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Japanese foreign ministry did not mention any direct discussion of China in its official statement, but noted the meeting addressed several issues related to North Korea. One such issue was the need to combat Pyongyang’s ‘malign’ cyber activities, which are used to fund its nuclear and missile programmes. The trilateral meeting also included discussions on economic security cooperation. Additionally, Motegi, Rubio, and Cho signed an agreement to establish a trilateral framework to promote the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in other countries. According to the Japanese foreign ministry, the initiative aims to ensure the highest standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation. In its initial phase, the framework will focus on energy security in the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to the roughly 30-minute trilateral meeting, Motegi reportedly held separate bilateral talks with Rubio and Cho. Following the meeting, Motegi told the media that Japan intends to continue close cooperation with its partners on issues in the Indo-Pacific region. The Chinese navy’s missile test on Monday drew criticism from Australia, Japan, and several other nations. The missile, launched from a nuclear submarine, carried a dummy warhead and reportedly landed precisely in a designated area of water. The United States stated that China’s rapid and opaque build-up of nuclear weapons is a primary concern for the region and the world.