September 20, 2023
Domestic Politics Threaten Hard-Won Success in East Asia
On Aug. 18, the leaders of the United States, South Korea, and Japan met for their first stand-alone summit at Camp David. Simply gathering for a leaders’ meeting would have been significant enough, given the thawing of a previously frozen Seoul-Tokyo relationship. But U.S. President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida went far beyond a symbolic meeting.
As momentous and historic as the Camp David agreements were, this trilateral grouping is innately and structurally fragile
The joint statement that resulted was impressively detailed, and the plans for new cooperation both comprehensive and wide-ranging. The Camp David summit is a testament that the convergence of political wills and political capital can transcend deep-seated historical animosity and bring countries together on shared challenges. But lasting trilateral cooperation is still an uncertain prospect: Leadership changes, innate fragility in this a trilateral grouping, and wedge-driving tactics by Pyongyang and Beijing could derail the hard work put in by the governments of today.
Read the full article from Foreign Policy.
More from CNAS
-
Trump Administration Realises That The Tariff Strategy Has Backfired: Lisa Curtis
Video
Trump administration realises that the tariff strategy has backfired, says Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and program director at the Center for a New American Security.Watch the ...
By Lisa Curtis
-
Ep 187: Richard Fontaine on the “Reverse Kissinger”
Podcast
Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and co-author of No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy, joins the show to dis...
By Richard Fontaine
-
A Stroll Through the Indo-Pacific, the Most Important Region in the World
Podcast
In this episode, we get into what’s driving the Indo-Pacific’s security dynamics, from China’s threats to Taiwan to AUKUS and the Quad to stability (or lack thereof) on the Ko...
By Lisa Curtis
-
Assessing China’s Nuclear Decision-Making
Reports
China’s rapid nuclear buildup is raising questions about how the country makes decisions related to nuclear weapons. This policy brief analyzes that trend by presenting three ...
By Jacob Stokes
