Trilateral Ministers Meeting for Reconciliation

Foreign Ministers of Japan, the Republic of Korea and China had a meeting in Tokyo on March 22nd. They agreed on accelerating preparation for their leaders’ summit meeting to maintain the diplomatic momentum to improve their relations. Those three countries are seeking closer relationship with consideration of America-First policies taken by US President Donald Trump, which cause economic and security instability for those Asian nations.

It was the first opportunity for the foreign ministers of those three countries to meet since November 2023, when they had one in Busan, ROK. ”Although we sometimes face difficulty, it is a common interest and important for peace and prosperity in the region and international community to have frank dialogues and promote future-looking exchange and cooperation,” said Takeshi Iwaya, Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs as the chairman of this year.

 

In the trilateral meeting, the ministers agreed on promoting mutual understandings, cooperation for maintaining people’s life and solving common problems for any agers including increase of elder people and low births. They acknowledged that cultural exchange by three nations will be encouraged this and next year. On the perspective for trilateral summit meeting, Iwaya referred to his hope to have it within this year.

 

They also exchanged their views on military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. While Japan and ROK expressed concern on the cooperation, and ROK Foreign Minister, Cho Tae-yul, stressed that the illegal cooperation should immediately be halted. Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, indicated importance of approaching each other by the stake holders, with notion that the situation in the Korean Peninsula was complicated and sensitive.

 

After the trilateral ministers’ meeting, Japan and China had bilateral economic high-level meeting. Iwaya told the reporters that he could reconfirm some progress in the issue of lifting import ban of Japanese sea products by China. Wang insisted on importance of recognizing historical events, indicating eightieth anniversary from the ending the World War II in which Japan once apologized its aggression to Asian nations including China.

 

Japan and China have common concern on international trade, facing Trump’s protectionist trade policy imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum or possibly on cars. ROK has greatest concern on North Korea’s cooperation with Russia on the Ukraine War. Three countries share common interest not to bring the structure of hostility in Ukraine to East Asia region. Each of them also hopes to find alternative trade partner to US.

 

It is not strange for Japan and China to approach each other, regardless problems remaining between them, including China’s banning Japanese sea products after discharging processed water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant or detention of Japanese businessmen by Chinese authority. Trump looks like effectively working for offering common ground for those Asian countries to discuss reconciliation.

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