EVENT RECAP: Northeast Asia Security Track II Conference
NCAFP Hosts Annual Northeast Asia Security Track II Dialogue
May 12, 2025
From May 5 through May 7, 2025, the NCAFP convened policy experts and former officials from the U.S., China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea in New York City for its annual Northeast Asia Security Track II Conference.
On May 5, participants from the U.S. and China engaged in a strategic bilateral dialogue. These distinguished experts assessed the state of the bilateral relationship, discussed domestic and international political dynamics impacting the relationship, reflected on how to best manage regional and transnational security threats and challenges, and deliberated ways to stabilize tensions and prevent miscommunication.
On May 6, experts from the U.S., China, Japan, and South Korea took on the North Korean issue, working together to come up with innovative and cooperative solutions to a longstanding issue. Participants from all four sides laid out their perceptions of the current situation in the Korean Peninsula and shared potential pathways to engagement with North Korea and how to prevent further nuclear proliferation in the whole region. As a group, these scholars laid out their perspectives of the changing global order, the role that international institutions play, and how countries can step up to guide collective action around common interests to avoid conflict.
The conference concluded with a trilateral dialogue between the U.S., Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The three sides discussed the changes to the relationship dynamics under a second Trump administration and how to best engage with changing governments in all three countries. Participants further deliberated alliance and security cooperation, national priorities, and how to build an effective and robust deterrent system in the region.
Please stay tuned for a written report of the conference that will include key takeaways and policy recommendations.
To learn more about our Track II work, click here.