China remains lukewarm on Korea-Japan relations after talks with the US
It is unclear whether the trilateral summit will be held within the year.
Government: “It will take at least 2 to 3 months more.”
The Korea-China-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be held in Busan on the 26th. It will be held for the first time in 4 years and 3 months. In particular, interest is focused as discussions regarding the holding of the Korea-China-Japan summit are taking place at this time. However, at this tripartite ministerial meeting, a joint press conference was planned after the meeting, but it was reported that it was decided not to hold it in the end due to the shortened stay in Korea of Chinese Communist Party Central Political Bureau member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (pictured). The Korea-China-Japan summit, which was originally planned to be held within the year, is expected to be difficult to hold this year even if it is agreed upon at the three countries’ ministerial meeting. There are speculations that it will take more time for the summit to take place as China has recently maintained a somewhat passive stance.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the 10th Korea-China-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be held in Busan on the 26th, presided over by Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin and attended by Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. He added, “We plan to exchange a wide range of opinions on the direction of development of trilateral cooperation, regional and international situations, etc., including preparations for holding the 9th Trilateral Summit.”
The biggest concern is what will be discussed at this foreign ministers’ meeting regarding the timing of the trilateral summit, etc. Previously, in September, the diplomatic authorities of South Korea, China, and Japan agreed to hold a trilateral summit ‘at the earliest mutually convenient time.’ In addition, six agenda items, including people-to-people exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and peace and security, were selected within a broad framework.
However, the Korea-China-Japan summit, which seemed likely to be held within the year, continues to be delayed. Many point out that this is due to the lukewarm attitude of the Chinese authorities. As the conflict between the U.S. and China intensified, China, which had been actively reaching out to Korea and Japan, changed its attitude to a more passive one as recent U.S.-China dialogue continued. A government official predicted, “It will take at least two to three more months until the Korea-China-Japan summit is held.”
The foreign ministers of Korea, China, and Japan will hold a bilateral meeting on the morning of the 26th. After the official lunch, there will be a foreign ministers’ meeting in the afternoon. There will be no joint press conference or dinner thereafter. It is said that Director Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Kamikawa’s visit to President Yoon Seok-yeol will also be difficult due to their schedules.
With North Korea recently launching a military reconnaissance satellite and declaring virtually complete abandonment of the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, there is interest in what position China will take at this ministerial meeting.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.