- Title: US reaffirms ties with Japan, South Korea during Asia security summit
- Date: 3rd June 2017
- Summary: SINGAPORE (JUNE 3, 2017) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY JIM MATTIS AND JAPANESE DEFENCE MINISTER TOMOMI INADA WALKING TOWARDS FLAGS, SHAKING HANDS, SMILING FOR PHOTOS MATTIS AND INADA SHAKING HANDS, WALKING INTO BILATERAL MEETING ROOM MATTIS WALKING PAST AFTER BILATERAL MEETING INADA WALKING TOWARDS MEDIA AFTER BILATERAL MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPAN'S DEFENCE MINISTER, TOMOMI INADA, SAYING: "On issues related to North Korea, I said that it is now important to strengthen pressure rather than dialogue as was confirmed by the G7 recently." REPORTERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPAN'S DEFENCE MINISTER, TOMOMI INADA, SAYING: "Today we had various specific discussions on North Korea, the current situation in the East China Sea, South China Sea and the security environment surrounding this region, but I thought there was a complete match in our recognition." INADA LISTENING TO REPORTER QUESTION INADA WALKING AWAY INADA WALKING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREA'S DEFENCE MINISTER, HAN MIN-GOO, SAYING: "I emphasized that the measures that the South Korean government has taken regarding THAAD is completely domestic one and there's no intention from the South Korean side to change what's already been agreed or to send different messages to the U.S., and we wish to resolve the matter according to the spirit of the South Korea-U.S. alliance." SOUTH KOREAN DEFENCE MINISTER HAN MIN-GOO AND MATTIS WALKING TOWARDS FLAGS HAN AND MATTIS SMILING FOR PHOTOS VARIOUS OF HAN AND MATTIS WALKING TOWARDS BILATERAL MEETING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREA'S DEFENCE MINISTER, HAN MIN-GOO, SAYING: "Mattis expressed that he understands and trust us." / HAN WALKING AWAY EXTERIOR OF SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, VENUE OF SECURITY SUMMIT SINGAPORE NATIONAL FLAG AND SHANGRI-LA HOTEL FLAG FLYING POLICE MOTORBIKE DRIVING PAST HOTEL ENTRANCE
- Embargoed: 17th June 2017 11:23
- Keywords: Han Min-goo East China Sea USA Japan bilateral meeting North Korea doorstop Jim Mattis THAAD Tomomi Inada South China Sea China defence ministers
- Location: SINGAPORE
- City: SINGAPORE
- Country: Singapore
- Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016JQ3TXJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Japan and South Korea's defence ministers reaffirmed bilateral ties with Washington in meetings with their U.S. counterpart Jim Mattis on Saturday (June 3) on the sidelines of Asia's premier regional security summit in Singapore.
Japan's Tomomi Inada told reporters that she had told Mattis Tokyo backed the U.S. using any option to deal with North Korea, including military strikes. "It is now important to strengthen pressure rather than dialogue," she said after the meeting.
She also added that there was a "complete match" in the pair's recognition of the situation in North Korea as well as the South and East China Sea.
China's claims in the South China Sea are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Mattis earlier in the day said the U.S. would continue to "demonstrate resolve and operation presence" in the the sea, rejecting "unilateral changes to the status quo". China and Japan both claim islands in the East China Sea.
South Korea's Defence Minister Han Min-goo later told reporters he had informed Mattis that Seoul would not be changing "what's already been agreed" when it came to the U.S. deployment of an advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in the country. Mattis, Han said, "expressed that he understands and trusts us."
China has also been infuriated by THAAD, saying it was a threat to its security and would do nothing to ease tension with Pyongyang. South Korea has maintained that it is purely a means of defense against their isolated Northern neighbour. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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