China-Japan-S Korea On A Quiet Track To Better Ties


(MENAFN- Asia Times) The trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea (CJK) was held in Busan, South Korea on November 26, 2023, for the first time since August 2019.

Though the meeting itself is routine and has no immediate impact on regional affairs, the resumption of CJK foreign ministerial meetings indicates a change in the“two-to-one logic” of trilateral relations .

After being postponed due to Covid-19, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration eventually decided to host the CJK meeting amid reconciliation with Tokyo and rapprochement between Washington and Beijing.

The
shared perception
of China as a challenge and the United States' efforts to reinvigorate the
US–Japan–South Korea
trilateral defense partnership has solidified the foundation from which Seoul and Tokyo can jointly engage with Beijing in a trilateral format.

This brings the CJK back to its origin - a Japan-led initiative to not only upgrade relations with its neighbors and overcome historical grievances but also to cooperate with Seoul to promote a free and open international economic system in Asia.

Japan and South Korea initiated a joint study of their first bilateral
free trade agreement
(FTA) in 1998, a year before the first informal CJK trilateral summit held alongside the
ASEAN Plus Three summit
in 1999.

Despite unsuccessful attempts at historical reconciliations over the past two decades, Japan's efforts culminated in the trilateral investment agreement of 2012.


China-Japan-S Korea On A Quiet Track To Better Ties Image

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) speaks with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the G7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, 2023. Photo: Pool

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Asia Times

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