U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, left, elbow bumps with Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeo Mori, right, prior to their meeting at the Iikura Guesthouse on July 20, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Senior officials of Japan and the United States affirmed on Tuesday the importance of peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait where mainland China is increasing pressure on the self-ruled island.
The meeting in Tokyo between Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman came ahead of a trilateral meeting the following day that will include their South Korean counterpart Choi Jong Kun, with security issues concerning China and North Korea expected to be high on the agenda.
Mori and Sherman vowed to ensure trilateral coordination with South Korea in ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has attached importance to strengthening cooperation with Washington's two closest allies in Asia, whose bilateral relations have sunk to the lowest level in decades over wartime labor and compensation issues.
Mori also met separately with Choi on Tuesday, during which Mori was expected to bring up bilateral issues concerning wartime history, the ministry said.
South Korea said on Monday that President Moon Jae In will scrap his plan to visit Tokyo for the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Moon and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were planning to hold their first face-to-face summit during the trip.
Mori and Sherman also expressed grave concern about China's alleged human rights abuses against the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang autonomous region and the crackdown on Hong Kong.
At the bilateral meeting, the two senior diplomats pledged to work closely on climate change and global health issues in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the ministry.
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