The top diplomats from Japan, China and South Korea met in Tokyo on Saturday, seeking common ground on East Asian security and economic issues amid escalating global uncertainty.
"Given the increasingly severe international situation, I believe we may truly be at a turning point in history," Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at the start of the meeting in Tokyo with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.
The three agreed to accelerate preparations for a trilateral summit in Japan this year that would also include talks on how Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul can tackle declining birthrates and aging populations, Iwaya said in a joint announcement after the meeting.
The first gathering of the countries' foreign ministers since 2023 comes as U.S. President Donald Trump upends decades-old alliances, potentially opening the door for China to forge closer ties to countries traditionally aligned with Washington.
"Our three nations have a combined population of nearly 1.6 billion and an economic output exceeding $24 trillion. With our vast markets and great potential, we can exert significant influence," Wang said. China, he added, wants to resume free trade talks with its neighbours and expand membership of the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
However, deep divisions remain. Beijing is at odds with Tokyo and Seoul on several key issues, including its support of North Korea, its intensifying military activity around Taiwan, and its backing of Russia in its war with Ukraine.
U.S. allies Japan and South Korea, which each host thousands of U.S. troops, share Washington’s view that China - the world’s second-largest economy - poses a growing threat to regional security.
Cho said he had asked China in the meeting to help persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons.
"I also stressed that illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea should stop immediately, and that North Korea should not be rewarded for its wrongdoings in the course of bringing about the end of the war in Ukraine," he added.
Iwaya met separately with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts, including the first high-level economic dialogue with Beijing in six years.
A key issue for Tokyo in the talks with Beijing is a ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed by China after the release of wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant from 2023.
Iwaya said he confirmed a commitment by China made in September to allow imports of marine products and also asked about expanding imports of Japanese agricultural products, including beef and rice.
"I emphasised that it is important to prioritise resolving those issues that can be addressed early," Iwaya told reporters after the meeting.
A new artificial intelligence data centre in Armenia could be used for Western intelligence purposes, including against Russia, according to Russia...
Syria is carefully considering providing...
Scientists, astronauts and space industry leaders gathered in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday for the fourth day of the 77th International ...
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
An investigation into August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has no connection to Azerbaijan, informed sources have told AnewZ.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
A new artificial intelligence data centre in Armenia could be used for Western intelligence purposes, including against Russia, according to Russia's Security Council.
Scientists, astronauts and space industry leaders gathered in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday for the fourth day of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC). Designated as “Science and Academy Day,” discussions focused on the challenges of expanding human activities beyond Earth.
Spanish politicians traded blame on Thursday after the death of an 87-year-old woman who was evicted from her Madrid home exacerbated heated debates over housing ahead of an early election next month, as protests raged on across the country.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday 8 October, that Yerevan will discuss the possible construction of railway connections with the Turkish city of Kars and the Azerbaijani city of Nakhchivan with Russian officials next week, according to local media.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment