The top uniformed defense officials of Japan, the United States and South Korea have referred to China in jointly expressing opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force. It is extremely unusual for them to make such a reference to China.
Japan's chief of the Self-Defense Forces' Joint Staff, General Yoshida Yoshihide, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Charles Brown, and South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Admiral Kim Myung-soo, met in Tokyo on Thursday.
At the beginning of their talks, Yoshida said the security environment keeps deteriorating, with such issues as China's attempt to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas. He said he hopes to discuss ways to secure the peace and stability of the region.
A joint statement, released after the talks, first refers to North Korea. It says the three officers pledged to strengthen their countries' close cooperation to cope with Pyongyang's provocations and to continue working toward its complete denuclearization.
The statement then mentions China, saying the country is making unlawful claims for maritime interests in the South China Sea and elsewhere and is behaving aggressively.
It says they oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force. It goes on to say that the three officers reconfirmed the importance of maintaining the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.
The unusual reference to China is taken as indicating their intention to deepen the three nations' cooperation in dealing with China as well as North Korea.