ASIA: Sherman, Takeo, Hyundong To Brief Press Following Trilateral Meeting

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is shortly due to conduct a joint press availability with Japanese Vice Minister Mori Takeo and Republic of Korea First Vice Minister Cho Hyundong following a key trilateral meeting at the Department of State.

• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/statedept
• The meeting follows a meeting conducted within the same format in October and was primary designed to address the nuclear threat posed by North Korea and continue work to respond to "various challenges over China."
• Sherman said at a presser with Takeo and Hyundong in October that the three nations "all agreed that there needs to be peace in the Taiwan Strait," but stressed that they “…will support Taiwan's ability to defend itself.”
• The meeting likely also covered ground on the suspected Chinese surveillance operation. Sherman led a briefing on Chinese espionage for around150 people from about 40 embassies last week.
• The State Department also revealed that US officials have shared intelligence with Japan whose military facilities were also targeted by Beijing's balloon surveillance programme.