TOKYO: The United States, Japan and South Korea on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to work together on North Korea's denuclearization and other regional threats but made no progress in bringing closer together the two US allies.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who held talks in Tokyo with her counterparts, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori and South Korea's Choi Jong-kun, said their alliance remains a "lynchpin of peace, security and prosperity." The officials reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law, including maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. "When countries take actions that run counter to the United States' interests or that threaten our partners and allies, we will not let those challenges go unanswered," Sherman said.

The US and Japan raised concern about China pressing its claims to contested areas in the South China Sea and the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands. "It is important for the international community to unite and raise its voice against (China's) unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, and I hope for cooperation among the three countries," Mori said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan selected as person of interest by India in 2019

Ariel Henry sworn in as new Prime Minister of Haiti replacing interim PM Claude Joseph

“Without the spirit of sacrifice, a nation could not aspire to achieve development”: Imran Khan