In a significant move towards enhancing regional diplomacy, the Chinese mainland Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his counterparts from the ROK and Japan in Busan on November 26. This marked the first face-to-face exchange among top diplomats from these nations since 2019, setting the stage for deeper cooperation and a potential trilateral leaders' summit in the near future.
Wang Yi emphasized, \"China will continue to adhere to the basic policy of its neighborhood diplomacy, which is to pursue friendship and partnership with its neighbors and work with the ROK and Japan to push the cooperation among the three countries back on the right track.\" This statement underscores China's commitment to fostering strong ties and collaborative efforts in the region.
The meeting in Busan is a pivotal step towards preparing for a leaders' summit, building on the strategic vision established during the last meeting in Chengdu. There, countries outlined paths to accelerate three-way trade and promote greater stability in the global economy, reflecting the interconnected nature of their economies.
To ensure the success of upcoming summit preparations, all parties agreed on the importance of excluding external interference and strengthening mutual trust. Past trilateral meetings have shown that respecting each other's legitimate development and security interests is crucial for deepening strategic common ground.
Optimism is high as Seoul and Beijing commit to advancing their strategic cooperative partnership, while Tokyo plans to enhance strategic and security dialogues in the near term. The trilateral meeting also highlighted efforts to expand economic and trade initiatives, including the potential resumption of the China-Japan-ROK free trade agreement negotiations. Such initiatives promise to revive trade diplomacy momentum and contribute positively to both regional and global economic recovery.
With their highly complementary and interconnected economies, China, the ROK, and Japan collectively represent about 25 percent of the global GDP, making their cooperation vital for sustained economic growth and stability.
