If the purpose of a rare joint appearance of the leaders of Russia, North Korea and China on Sept. 3, 2025, was to foster unity among allies, then early indicators suggest its already working – just elsewhere.
Two days after the trio met in Beijing, Japan and Australia agreed to strengthen security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Then on Sept. 11, an accord between Japan and the Philippines went into effect, allowing the armed forces of both nations to operate in each other’s territories. Such deals represent a show of unity by Pacific region countries against perceived Chinese assertiveness.
