The top defense officials of the United States, Australia and Japan expressed their opposition to “concerning and destabilizing” activities in East Asia during the 13th Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting in Hawaii on Thursday.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III discussed their objection to China’s claims in the South China Sea and actions that do not align with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The defense leaders reaffirmed their commitment to securing Southeast Asia and agreed to cooperate and support states in the region to ensure their rights and freedoms in the maritime domain are protected.
Marles, Minoru and Austin also acknowledged the need to strengthen partnerships with Southeast Asian allies, including the Philippines, and cooperation with Pacific island countries to help them implement the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
The meeting also focused on North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and launches, which violate the United Nations Security Council resolutions; the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia; and Pyongyang’s human rights violations, Defense.gov reported.