US, Japan, Korea Agree to Closer Cooperation on Tech Export Controls
The U.S., Japan and South Korea last week agreed to boost export control cooperation -- including enforcement -- to prevent technologies with military or dual-use applications from being “illegally exported or stolen abroad.” The commitment was one of several made after Aug. 18 meetings at Camp David -- the first stand-alone summit among the three nation’s leaders -- and “signifies a new era of trilateral cooperation," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
In a joint statement, President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to “enhance cooperation on technology protection measures to prevent the cutting-edge technologies” that they develop from being illegally exported. They said they plan to “conduct inaugural exchanges” between the U.S. Disruptive Technology Strike Force -- a group focusing on prosecuting criminal export control cases (see 2305160086 and 2302160019) -- and their Japanese and Korean counterparts to “deepen information-sharing and coordination across our enforcement agencies.”
They also will “continue to strengthen trilateral cooperation on export controls to prevent our technologies from being diverted for military or dual-use capabilities that could potentially threaten international peace and security.” To complement the export restrictions, the U.S., Japan and South Korea will pursue new collaborations between technology researchers and the countries’ national labs, the statement said.
The countries briefly mentioned China, rebuking Beijing’s “unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea. “We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific,” they said, and “reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require the administration to work with allies to form a sanctions strategy that could be deployed against China if it invades Taiwan (see 2306090012, 2303300024 and 2305030052).
In a set of “Camp David Principles,” the countries said the purpose of their cooperation is to “promote and enhance peace and stability throughout the region.” Sullivan, speaking to reporters, said the countries plan on “regularizing meetings between our leaders” to “discuss the broad agenda of security technology, regional strategy, economic partnership, and more.”
The countries also committed to a “complete denuclearization” of North Korea, urged the country to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and called on U.N. members to fully enforce its sanctions against the country. During a press conference, Sullivan said the U.S. is “concerned” about the relationship between North Korea and Russia.
“Russia has been seeking to get materiel for its war effort in Ukraine from Pyongyang, from North Korea. And as they have done with other countries, like Iran, when they asked, they usually also offer some types of security cooperation in return,” Sullivan said. “So that’s something that we’re taking a hard look at.” During a press conference, Biden said the countries will cooperate to stop “potential arms transfers in support of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine.”
The three countries also agreed to launch a new supply chain early warning system pilot to share and “enhance policy coordination on possible disruptions to global supply chains.” Biden said the pilot will cover critical materials and batteries “so we can get ahead of issues as they appear.”