China, Japan, and South Korea have reached an agreement to resume cooperation, paving the way for a summit as part of efforts to ease tensions among the Asian neighbours. While China and the United States work on improving relations, Beijing remains wary of the strengthening partnership between Washington and its key regional allies, including Japan and South Korea.

The three nations had initially agreed to hold annual summits starting in 2008 to enhance diplomatic and economic ties, but disputes and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the plan, with the last meeting of the three leaders taking place in 2019. The foreign ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea convened in the South Korean port of Busan for their first meeting since 2019, following an agreement in September to organize a trilateral summit at the earliest convenience.

The summit between China's President Xi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol may not occur this year, according to South Korea's national security adviser, Cho Tae-yong. However, the adviser expressed optimism that the summit is likely in the near future, as reported by Yonhap news TV.

During their talks, the foreign ministers of the three nations agreed to advance cooperation in six areas, including security, economy, and technology. They also committed to promoting concrete discussions to prepare for the anticipated summit, as stated in a release from Japan's foreign ministry.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, expressing concerns about North Korean issues, emphasized the significance of "further institutionalizing trilateral cooperation" during discussions with his counterparts. The South Korean Ministry, in a statement, highlighted the need for this institutionalization to develop into a stable and sustainable system.

China's Wang Yi asserted that the three countries should "oppose ideological demarcation and resist putting regional cooperation into camps," in comments directed at Seoul and Tokyo's alliance with Washington.

Wang urged the three countries to promptly resume negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement, as stated in Chinese foreign ministry readout. Japan's Yoko Kamikawa asserted that increased trilateral cooperation would be beneficial for regional peace, noting that the international security situation has become "more severe and complex than ever."

During bilateral talks, South Korean Foreign Minister Park and her Japanese counterpart Kamikawa condemned North Korea's recent launch of its first spy satellite. They also agreed to enhance responses to arms deals between Pyongyang and Moscow, as stated by Seoul's foreign ministry.

However, Kamikawa expressed strong dissatisfaction, describing as "extremely regrettable" a South Korean court's order for Japan to compensate a group of women forced to work in its wartime brothels. She urged Seoul to take appropriate measures, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency.

In a separate meeting with China's Wang, South Korean Foreign Minister Park invited him to visit Seoul, and they pledged to strengthen strategic communications, according to Seoul. Park urged China to play a constructive role in encouraging North Korea to avoid provocations and pursue denuclearization. Beijing's foreign ministry stated that Wang cautioned Park against politicizing economic and technology issues amid China-U.S. tensions over semiconductors and other trade disputes.

Japan's Kamikawa expressed hopes for a security dialogue with Beijing "in the near future," while Wang emphasized the importance for China and Japan to avoid posing threats to each other and to respect each other's legitimate concerns, as stated by Beijing. South Korea's Yoon and Japan's Kishida have taken steps to mend strained ties, engaging in a historic three-way summit with Biden in August.

Image source: Hindustan Times