[Anchor]
Amid recent physical clashes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan met in Manila, Philippines. The three ministers spoke with one voice to keep China in check.
Kim Hye-young reports from Manila.
[Reporter]
This footage is from near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on the 20th.
A Philippine Navy rubber boat and a China Coast Guard high-speed vessel approached each other and collided while wielding oars and clubs, leaving one Philippine soldier injured.
The Philippines claimed it was responding to illegal activities by China, while China countered that it was a provocation by the Philippines, with both sides summoning each other's ambassadors to lodge protests.
Amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi met yesterday in Manila, Philippines, where the ASEAN Regional Forum is being held.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the three ministers discussed regional security situations, including "attempts to unilaterally change the status quo," an expression typically aimed at China.
The three ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening maritime security and compliance with international law, including freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region, sending a message of deterrence and cooperation without directly naming China.
In an opinion piece for a Philippine media outlet, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio targeted China by stating that ASEAN nations are "facing coercive threats."
In response, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hit back, saying that "the South China Sea issue should not become an obstacle to relations between China and ASEAN."
The trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan reaffirmed their existing cooperative stance not only on regional security issues such as the South China Sea, but also on economic security including supply chains and advanced technologies, as well as coordination regarding North Korea.
However, while solidifying trilateral cooperation, the South Korean government also appeared to adjust its tone by refraining from using the explicit expression of "opposing" unilateral changes to the status quo, taking South Korea-China relations into consideration.
(Video footage: Cho Chang-hyun | Video editing: Kim Byung-jik | Design: Seo Hyun-jung)
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