In their first calls with Mr Joe Biden since the US presidential election, the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia yesterday reaffirmed plans to form close ties with the President-elect to tackle various issues, including climate change and regional security.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined other global leaders in recognising the Democratic challenger's Nov 3 victory over incumbent Donald Trump, who has so far refused to concede.
All sides expressed their determination to strengthen bilateral ties as well as tackle global issues such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, Mr Biden's office said.
"President-elect Biden said that he looks forward to strengthening the US-Japan alliance and working together on achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific," Mr Suga told newsmen at the Prime Minister's Office.
Mr Biden had earlier spoken to the leaders of Germany, Britain, Canada and France, but China and Russia have so far held off passing on their congratulations and speaking with the President-elect.
Speaking to Mr Moon, Mr Biden reaffirmed the US commitment to defend South Korea, highlighting the Asian ally as a "lynchpin of the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region", Mr Moon's spokesman Kang Min-seok said.
"President Moon asked for close cooperation for the forward-looking development of the bilateral alliance, and denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula," Mr Kang told a briefing.
Mr Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had vowed to work towards denuclearisation at their unprecedented summit in 2018, but little progress has been made since their second summit and working-level talks collapsed the previous year.
While Mr Biden has said he would not meet Mr Kim without preconditions, he has also said he would embrace "principled diplomacy" with North Korea.
South Korean officials are also hopeful that Mr Biden will quickly resolve a drawn-out, multi-billion-dollar dispute with Washington over the cost of thousands of US troops on the peninsula.
On climate change, Mr Morrison said he spoke with Mr Biden about emission reduction technology, though a target for zero net emissions by 2050 was not discussed.
"I raised with the President-elect the similarity between the President-elect's comments and policies regarding emissions reduction technologies that we needed to achieve that, and we look forward to working on those issues," Mr Morrison told newsmen in Canberra.
Both Mr Moon and Mr Suga said they agreed to arrange summits with the President-elect shortly after his inauguration in January.
REUTERS