Foreign ministers of S. Korea, China, Japan to discuss trilateral summit in four years

The foreign ministers of South Korea, China, and Japan are scheduled to hold talks in South Korea on Sunday,  South Korea’s foreign ministry announced on Friday. The move is considered a significant step as the three nations aim to hold their first leaders’ summit in four years. While the three countries initially agreed to convene an annual summit in 2008 to enhance regional cooperation, this plan has faced challenges due to bilateral disputes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last leaders’ summit took place in 2019. The upcoming meeting of foreign ministers, set to occur in the South Korean port city of Busan, is noteworthy as the first such gathering since 2019. In September, senior diplomats from the three nations reached an agreement to facilitate a leaders’ meeting at the “earliest convenient time.” “The foreign ministers plan to exchange views extensively on the direction of development of trilateral cooperation including preparations for a ninth trilateral summit, and regional and global issues,” the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministers will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines, it added. The talks come as South Korea and Japan have seen improving ties and also deepening security cooperation with the United States amid concerns over China’s growing regional influence. Beijing has previously warned that U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with South Korea and Japan could increase tension and confrontation in the region. The meeting in Busan also comes after North Korea said this week it had placed its first spy satellite in orbit, drawing international condemnation for violating U.N. resolutions that bar its use of technology applicable to ballistic missile programs. With inputs from Reuters.