China, Japan and South Korea to hold trilateral summit in May

South Korea is in talks with China and Japan to set a date for a trilateral summit in May, a South Korean foreign ministry official said. South Korea currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral dialogue.

"We are discussing the date for the summit in Seoul (South Korea) and we will let you know the specific date as soon as it is officially decided," the official said. In addition, the three countries have decided to hold the summit at "the earliest time convenient for all parties," the official added.

From left: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose for a photo before their talks in Busan, South Korea, on November 26, 2023.

The leaders of the three Northeast Asian countries are likely to discuss economic cooperation and regional issues, sources familiar with the matter said, while South Korea and Japan are keen to push China to use its influence over Pyongyang to address concerns over its nuclear program.

China, Japan and South Korea last held a trilateral summit in December 2019. The event was later suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the strained relationship between Tokyo and Seoul over the issue of wartime labor from 1910 to 1945.

According to Yonhap on April 5, discussions on resuming summits are currently gaining attention, especially in the context of gradually "warming" relations between Japan and South Korea.

Last November, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, along with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts Wang Yi and Yoko Kamikawa, held trilateral face-to-face talks in Busan, where the three countries agreed to accelerate efforts to arrange a summit between their leaders at the earliest possible date.

The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea have met regularly on the sidelines of international conferences since 1999 and have taken turns hosting trilateral summits since 2008.

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