US, Japan, SKorea tackle trilateral cooperation

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke separately with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, emphasizing the importance of "sustained trilateral cooperation" ahead of his visit to China, the State Department said Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

The conversations also come as North Korea has stepped up missile launches in the past year, and Tokyo contends with growing pressure from Chinese vessels around islands contested with Beijing.