Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised concerns about China's efforts to assert control over the South China Sea, its "coercive behavior" in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea, and Russia-China cooperation that undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a State Department readout released Friday.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G20 in Atlanta on Friday, where Rubio and his counterparts discussed strengthening security and economic cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region. They also signed a memorandum establishing the Trilateral Arctic Pacific Partnership to explore maritime cooperation and economic opportunities in the Pacific Arctic.
South Korea's statement after the G20 meeting omitted references to China and the West Sea, saying only that the ministers discussed regional and global developments, including attempts to unilaterally change the status quo. Japan also said in a statement that it opposed force or coercion in the region, without naming Beijing or the disputed waters.
The Chosun Daily, a major South Korean newspaper, wrote, "This is the first time the U.S. Department of State has explicitly mentioned China's 'coercive behavior in the West Sea' while announcing the results of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers' meetings held four times this year."
The Trump administration's push to link maritime security, Arctic access and energy supply chains shows a much greater effort underway to coordinate with Japa
