The "David Camp Spirit" has caused concern among Japanese and South Korean media, fearing the escalation of East Asian conflicts and unnecessary disputes between the United States, Japan, and South Korea | Biden | David Camp

Global Times special correspondent Yue Linwei and Zhao Zhen in Japan and South Korea, Global Times special correspondent Liu Bowang, and Global Times reporter Pan Xiaotong, "Biden hailed the 'new era of partnership' between the United States, Japan, and South Korea at Camp David." According to a report by the US Political News Network, on the 18th local time, US President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Seok yeol jointly issued a 'historic statement' at Camp David in the United States. According to a document released on the official website of the White House, leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea have reached a consensus on strengthening the trilateral consultation mechanism, enhancing national security cooperation, deepening regional cooperation, and deepening economic and technological cooperation. They have also issued a joint statement called the "Camp David Spirit" and the "Camp David Principles" regarding policy positions on regional issues.

On the morning of the 18th local time, US President Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Seok yeol to the White House at Camp David. The leaders of the US, Japan, and South Korea announced that "in order to coordinate responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats that affect collective interests and security, the US, Japan, and South Korean governments have pledged to quickly engage in mutual consultations.". To improve the communication mechanism between the United States, Japan, and South Korea, the three countries will hold at least one meeting of leaders, foreign ministers, defense ministers, and national security advisors each year. They will also hold their first meeting of finance ministers and initiate a new meeting of commerce ministers. The three countries also plan to regularly hold annual and multi-disciplinary trilateral exercises to strengthen coordination and cooperation. By the end of 2023, the United States, Japan, and South Korea plan to achieve real-time sharing of missile warning data. Preliminary steps have been taken to test the technical capability of real-time sharing of missile warning data. In addition, the three countries will pilot a "supply chain early warning system", especially prioritizing the establishment of early warning mechanisms in the fields of semiconductors, new energy batteries, key minerals, and artificial intelligence.

Chen Yang, a visiting researcher at the Japan Research Center of Liaoning University, told Global Times on the 20th that the various contents of the "Camp David Spirit" joint statement reflect that the United States, Japan, and South Korea are no longer only focusing on cooperation in the field of security and defense, but are beginning to focus on broader and closer deep cooperation in other fields. In addition, Biden, Fumio Kishida, and Yoon Seok yeol are all facing election pressure, so the joint statement is more like a bargaining chip to voters for the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

The South Korean media has given widespread attention to this conference. According to a report by the South Korean newspaper, the South Korean Presidential Office stated on the 20th that this is the first time that the three countries have clarified their relationship with the international community through a document on the results of the US, Japan, and South Korea Leaders Summit, and the meeting is of great significance. Some South Korean media have expressed concerns about the cooperation consensus reached by the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The East Asia Daily published an editorial stating that the United States, Japan, and South Korea have officially launched comprehensive cooperation in areas such as security, economy, and technology based on an institutionalized cooperation framework, covering the entire Indian Ocean Pacific region. However, the three countries with different geopolitical, economic conditions, and historical backgrounds still have significant differences and differences on many issues. Only by first working to eliminate these concerns can the cooperation between the three countries truly be stable.

South Korea's Kyongjo News reported that the United States is likely to involve South Korea in unnecessary disputes in response to various threats in the Indo Pacific region, which is "concerning". According to reports, the series of consensus reached by the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea this time is the biggest gain that the United States has achieved in its alliance diplomacy in the Asian region in recent decades, and also opens the way for Japan to exercise its voice on the Korean Peninsula issue. But for South Korea, the current South Korea US alliance is sufficient to fully respond to North Korea's nuclear threat, and there is no need to further develop security cooperation with Japan. Considering its relationship with China, it is not advisable for South Korea to fully integrate into the so-called "Indo Pacific strategy" of the United States.

Japanese media are paying attention to the impact of the content of the trilateral joint statement on Japan China relations. The Asahi Shimbun stated that the unity of the United States, Japan, and South Korea, which share values, is of great significance. However, if trilateral cooperation evolves into a camp vying for hegemony, it will further exacerbate the tension. The Asahi Shimbun believes that the true purpose of strengthening unity between the United States, Japan, and South Korea is clearly to "respond to the military rise of China," while Japan and South Korea, which have close economic ties with China, do not want to have a "clear confrontation" with China. Therefore, the three parties must not lose sight of the goal of maintaining regional stability, rather than confronting China.

The Daily News of Japan mentioned that the United States is building security cooperation frameworks around the world under the guise of maintaining international order. This time, it has elevated the cooperation between the United States, Japan, and South Korea to an "alliance" form, aiming to strengthen its restraint on China. The report states that China and Japan have close relations, and if the joint statement of the three countries highlights a confrontational stance, it may exacerbate tensions and tensions between the two sides, which is not conducive to regional stability. To ease the situation, Japan should strengthen communication between Japan and China.