US plans trilateral summit with Japan, South Korea in July

U.S. President Joe Biden, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stand together for a trilateral meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

TOKYO — The United States government is arranging a summit between President Joe Biden and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in July, on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, Japanese media outlets reported.

Biden, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol are likely to discuss issues including bolstering deterrence against China, North Korea’s nuclear threat and that country’s deepening military ties with Russia, Kyodo news agency reported late on Sunday.

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Japan’s top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, on Monday declined to comment on Kishida’s invitation to the July 9-11 NATO Summit and said no schedule has been set for a U.S.-Japan-South Korea leaders’ meeting.

South Korea’s presidential office did not respond to a request for comment. The U.S. embassy in Japan declined to comment.

Biden in August hosted a summit with the heads of the two East Asian allies at Camp David, where the three leaders agreed to deepen military and economic cooperation and hold annual meetings.

Kishida and Yoon attended NATO summits in 2022 and 2023, as the U.S.-led security alliance has sought to strengthen relations with Indo-Pacific partners including Japan and South Korea.