Top diplomats from South Korea, Japan, and China met for the first time in about four years, reaffirming their commitment to revive cooperation among Asian neighbors and resume their leaders’ trilateral summit. The agreement was reached despite ongoing historical disputes stemming from Japan’s wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States. The three countries, which together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product, strive to boost cooperation in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development, and security.
Japan, South Korea, China businesses groups to study cooperation
The agreement to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date and expedite preparations for the summit suggests a willingness to put aside differences and work together to address common challenges. However, the lack of a specific timing for the trilateral summit hints that the meeting may not take place this year, as South Korea had hoped. Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa reiterated the country’s demand that China lift its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to the country’s discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. China, however, opposed Japan’s decision, calling it “irresponsible” and seeking an independent monitoring mechanism for the process.
Despite these challenges, the agreement demonstrates the commitment of the three nations to strengthen their ties and work together to address common challenges. The three countries had previously struggled to boost cooperation due to historical disputes and strategic competition, but their meeting signals a willingness to put aside these differences and collaborate on key issues. As the world’s third-largest economy, Asia’s Big Three play a crucial role in shaping global trends and addressing global challenges.
