Japan, China, South Korea aim to strengthen cooperation

Japan, China, and South Korea's foreign ministers met in Tokyo on Saturday to strengthen cooperation amid U.S. trade tariffs. This meeting follows a trilateral summit in Seoul last May, where the countries agreed to improve trade ties. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi dined together the night before the talks. They then met Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who emphasized their nations' significant roles in regional peace and prosperity. During the meeting, key topics included climate change, ageing populations, trade, disaster relief, and science and technology. The ministers intend to schedule another trilateral summit in the coming months. They will also engage in bilateral talks, with Japan and China planning their first high-level economic dialogue in six years. Iwaya pointed out the importance of China resuming seafood imports from Japan, which stopped in 2023 due to concerns over treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. While China announced plans to gradually resume imports, no action has taken place yet. The ongoing U.S. tariffs have affected all three countries. Patricia M. Kim, a foreign policy expert, noted that this round of talks is significant due to changing dynamics with the U.S. All three nations are looking to find new economic opportunities by working together. The summit in May was the first top-level meeting in five years, where leaders reaffirmed their goal for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. However, South Korea and Japan tend to take a tougher stance on North Korea compared to China, which remains a major ally. The upcoming meeting is expected to focus on economic issues, with North Korea being a secondary concern.