SEOUL - The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea agreed on Nov 26 to restart cooperation among the Asian neighbours and pave the way for a summit of their three leaders – Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol – in the latest move to ease tensions in the vital region.

The three top diplomats met in Busan for their first in-person talks since 2019, after officials of the three countries agreed in September to arrange a trilateral summit at the “earliest convenient time”.

The three ministers did not specify a timeframe for the trilateral summit.

Even as China and the United States mend frayed ties, including at a November summit of their leaders, Mr Xi and Mr Joe Biden, Beijing is concerned that Washington and its key regional allies are strengthening their three-way partnership.

Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo had agreed on annual summits from 2008 to bolster diplomatic and economic exchanges, but two-way rows and the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the plan, with the last trilateral meeting in 2019.

President Xi, PM Kishida and President Yoon may not be able to meet in 2023, but their summit is likely in the near future, South Korea’s National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong told Yonhap News TV.

The ministers agreed in their 100-minute talks on Nov 26 to advance cooperation in six areas, including security, economy and technology, and promote concrete discussions to prepare for the summit, Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin, who was also concerned about North Korean issues, told his counterparts it was “important to further institutionalise trilateral cooperation so that it will develop into a stable and sustainable system”, his ministry said in a statement.

China’s Mr Wang Yi said the three countries should play an active role in promoting regional and global development with a “more progressive manner and attitude”.

Japanese minister Yoko Kamikawa said greater trilateral cooperation would contribute to regional peace as the international security situation has become “more severe and complex than ever”.

In bilateral talks, Mr Park and Ms Kamikawa condemned North Korea’s launch of its first spy satellite and agreed to boost responses to arms deals between Pyongyang and Moscow, Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Marring the cooperative tone, Ms Kamikawa described a South Korean court’s order for Japan to compensate a group of women forced to work in its wartime brothels as “extremely regrettable” and asked Seoul to take appropriate measures, Japan’s Kyodo news agency said.

Mr Park, meeting separately with Mr Wang, invited him to visit Seoul, and they agreed to reinforce strategic communications, Seoul said.

Mr Park asked for China to play a constructive role in encouraging North Korea to avoid further provocations and take the path towards denuclearisation.

Beijing’s foreign ministry said Mr Wang warned Mr Park not to politicise economic and technology issues, amid China-US tension over semiconductors and other trade disputes.

“China and South Korea have become cooperation partners with highly integrated interests and highly interconnected production and supply chains,” Mr Wang told Mr Park, according to a Chinese foreign ministry read-out.

“Both sides should jointly resist the tendency to politicise economic issues, instrumentalise science and tech issues, and the broad securitisation of trade issues.”

South Korea has sought to avoid becoming embroiled in a tit-for-tat row between China and the US over semiconductors.

Ms Kamikawa met Mr Wang on Nov 25 and expressed hopes for a security dialogue between Tokyo and Beijing “in the near future”.

Mr Wang highlighted the need for both sides to ensure they “do not pose a threat” to each other and respect the legitimate concerns of both, China’s foreign ministry said.

South Korea’s President Yoon and Japan’s PM Kishida have moved to mend ties frayed by history and trade feuds, and held a historic three-way summit in August with Mr Biden.

In July, Mr Wang warned that US efforts to strengthen ties with Seoul and Tokyo could fan regional tension and spark confrontation. REUTERS