US, South Korea, Japan to launch new defense steps at Camp David

The United States, Japan and South Korea will launch a series of joint initiatives on technology and defense when the countries' leaders gather at Camp David this Friday, according to senior U.S. administration officials, amid mounting shared concerns about China, Report informs via Reuters.

While the summit is unlikely to produce a formal security arrangement that commits the nations to each others' defense, they will agree to mutual understanding about regional responsibilities and set up a three-way hot line to communicate in times of crisis, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

US President Joe Biden invited Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, to the storied presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains as the Asian nations work to mend their tattered diplomatic relations in the face of greater regional threats posed both by China's rise and North Korea.

It will mark the first in what US officials hope will be an annual gathering between the three country's leaders, formalizing their ties and cooperation.