Tokyo: The top diplomats of South Korea, Japan, and China met in Tokyo on Saturday to engage in talks aimed at advancing trilateral cooperation amid economic and security uncertainties stemming from the second U.S. administration of President Donald Trump. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi participated in this three-way dialogue as the three Asian neighbors seek to organize a leaders' summit later this year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministers are expected to discuss efforts broadly to advance the tripartite partnership in various domains such as economy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. They are also set to address regional and global issues, including those related to the Korean Peninsula. Cho expressed the significance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for East Asia and the world, emphasizing the need for candid discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue.
Cho stated that the talks would reaffirm the commitment to continued cooperation and deepen future collaboration. Iwaya underscored the importance of overcoming conflict and division through dialogue and cooperation. He stressed the necessity of candid conversations and forward-looking exchanges amid the difficulties faced by the three neighbors.
Wang described the three-way cooperation as the "most promising" framework for development in East Asia, highlighting efforts to resume negotiations for a free trade agreement at an early date. The ministers are scheduled to hold a joint press conference following the talks, with Cho joining Iwaya for separate bilateral talks on the same day.
Cho, who arrived in Japan on Friday, also had a one-on-one meeting with Wang on the same day. During Saturday's talks, the three sides are expected to coordinate efforts to facilitate a successful summit of the countries' leaders, with Japan hosting this year's gathering anticipated to occur later in the year. They may also explore ways to cooperate in the context of growing uncertainties and challenges posed by Trump's trade policies amid the rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
On security issues, discussions are likely to include assessments of North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations and Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. The last foreign ministers' dialogue among the three Asian neighbors occurred in South Korea's southern city of Busan in November 2023, attended by Wang and then Foreign Ministers Park Jin and Yoko Kamikawa. The previous three-way summit took place in Seoul in May last year between President Yoon Suk Yeol, then Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.