U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in New York City on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week. The leaders reiterated support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific as well as their long-standing commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea. They also covered several topics on fair trade, supply chain resilience and technology cooperation.
On Taiwan, “the Secretary and Foreign Ministers encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo,” a State Department statement said. “They expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.”
The leaders also discussed the larger Indo-Pacific, underscoring support for preserving freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and other lawful uses of the sea for all nations in the Indo-Pacific and globally, in accordance with international law.
The three countries discussed progress on commitments made on the sidelines of last years’ UNGA, noting a common goal:
“The United States reiterated its ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK [Republic of Korea], backed by America’s unmatched military strength, including its nuclear capabilities, and reaffirmed its extended deterrence commitments to Japan and the ROK,” the statement said. “The Secretary and Foreign Ministers emphasized their commitment to robust security cooperation.”
That cooperation includes a resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and support for relevant sanctions. They agreed to continue cooperation to address other cyberthreats from North Korea and reiterated their commitment to the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war as well as the issue of separated families. The leaders reiterated their continued call for North Korea to resume dialogue toward peace.
The meeting also included a robust discussion on cooperation to enhance economic security and resilience:
“Standing firmly against economic coercion and non-market policies and practices (NMPPs) leading to harmful overcapacity and market distortion, including arbitrary export restrictions that disrupt supply chains, the Secretary and the Foreign Ministers resolved to maintain free and transparent trade and secure critical supply chains,” the statement said.
The three countries “resolved to cooperatively reinforce advanced-technology stacks and supply chain resilience and to promote and protect critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, digital infrastructure, and biotechnology,” the statement said.
The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers committed to strengthening regional and global engagement and to continuing trilateral meetings at all levels.