Trilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting: Japan, China, S. Korea Must Deepen Cooperation to Ensure Regional Stability

Editorial

16:25 JST, March 23, 2025

With the international order on the verge of collapse, it is laudable that the foreign ministers of three major Asian countries — Japan, China and South Korea — have affirmed their commitment to work for regional stability by strengthening communication.

The three countries need to lead their agreement in various areas toward a resolution of specific outstanding issues.

The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea met in Tokyo and agreed to deepen mutual understanding through economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, while also agreeing to promote joint research on low birth rates and aging populations, problems all three countries are facing.

The ministers also affirmed the goal of holding a trilateral summit at an early date, which would be the first such meeting since May last year.

The war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East show no signs of ending. The self-righteous foreign policy being pursued by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has rocked the world. The role that Japan, China and South Korea have to play in maintaining peace in Asia seems to be growing.

However, at a joint press conference after the foreign ministers meeting, the differences in the three countries’ positions on North Korea became evident.

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, expressed concerns over North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and its military cooperation with Russia.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on the other hand, said, “All parties should face up to the root causes of the issue and meet each other halfway.” This remark is thought to indicate Beijing’s view that resolving the issue through dialogue is necessary, instead of unilateral condemnation of North Korea.

It is believed that North Korea has been able to continue its military buildup despite U.N. economic sanctions because China has smuggled fuel and other supplies into the country.

Chinese companies have also exported semiconductors and other goods that can be used for military purposes to Russia. Many observers believe that China has propped up Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

If China does not change its stance, it will only accelerate the destabilization of the international situation and fail to gain the trust of countries around the world. As a major power, it should behave responsibly.

Following the trilateral foreign ministers meeting, the Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers held a bilateral meeting. The Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue was also held for the first time in six years, during which the two countries confirmed they would work together in areas such as energy conservation and decarbonization.

Beijing has been at odds with the Trump administration, exchanging tariffs tit for tat. Given the situation, China appears to regard Japan as an important trading partner.

On the other hand, Iwaya protested during the series of talks against the intrusion of Chinese government vessels into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands. He also called for restrictions on seafood imports from Japan to be lifted quickly, and for the early release of Japanese nationals detained by Chinese authorities on charges such as espionage.

However, the Chinese side reportedly offered no positive response on any of these issues. One cannot help but doubt whether Beijing is serious about stabilizing the region.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 23, 2025)