Japan, China, South Korea agree to promote peace, cooperation
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China's Wang Yi, South Korea's Cho Tae-yul, and Japan's Takeshi Iwaya at the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo. | Photo: AP
Tokyo: Japan, China, and South Korea have reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and explored areas for trilateral cooperation, including aging populations, low birth rates, natural disasters, and cultural exchange. The meeting, held amid rising regional tensions, brought together Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.
At the joint press conference following the discussions, Iwaya stressed the importance of promoting mutual understanding and trust while addressing shared challenges across generations. Expressing concerns over North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, he highlighted its cooperation with Russia as a regional threat. He underscored the necessity of ensuring North Korea’s complete denuclearization in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions. Additionally, Iwaya reiterated Japan’s condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, stating that unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force have no place in the world, a remark subtly referencing China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Wang emphasized China’s support for a mutually beneficial regional economy and advocated for renewed discussions on an economic framework involving the three nations, as well as an expansion of the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He stated that trilateral cooperation in technology, climate change, and other fields would serve as a key driving force for East Asian collaboration.
The meeting also focused on preparations for a trilateral leaders’ summit later this year, a diplomatic achievement for Japan despite its historical and territorial disputes with both China and South Korea. Iwaya expressed hope for accelerating efforts to host the summit in Japan, following the last trilateral gathering in South Korea after a four-and-a-half-year pause due to the pandemic. Cho, who chaired the previous summit, stressed that in the face of global instability, trilateral cooperation has become more crucial than ever.
Later in the day, Japan and China held their first high-level economic dialogue since April 2019, attended by officials from key ministries, including economy, transportation, environment, health, labor, and finance. Wang, in his opening remarks, stressed the importance of expanding cooperation into new areas and strengthening communication to advance strategic relations. However, he acknowledged that global economic recovery remains challenging, citing the rise of unilateralism, protectionism, and the politicization of science and technology. Discussions also addressed China's ban on Japanese seafood imports following Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in August 2023.
Iwaya and Wang also held separate bilateral talks with Cho. Japan and South Korea, both U.S. allies, have significantly improved ties in response to shared concerns over China’s regional ambitions. Tokyo and Beijing had agreed in December to enhance bilateral relations despite their differences, including a territorial dispute over uninhabited islands and China’s broader claims in the South China Sea.
With PTI inputs