Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan, China to meet in Busan on Sun. for talks on trilateral summit

한일중 외교장관회의 26일 부산 개최 3국 정상회의 준비 The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China will meet this weekend in Busan for talks that haven’t been held in over four years. Their meeting is to coordinate a summit between their leaders. Our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji has more. Top diplomats of South Korea, Japan, and China will sit down for talks on resuming trilateral summits between their leaders, that have not taken place for the past four years. Seoul’s foreign ministry announced on Friday that its minister Park Jin and his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Wang Yi, are set to meet in Busan on Sunday. Foreign ministers of the three countries last held such a meeting in August 2019. The ministry explained that the three officials will discuss details regarding resuming the trilateral summit. Ways to deal with North Korean threats, following the regime’s recent military spy satellite launch as well as measures to boost cooperation between the three countries, will also be on the agenda. Park will also hold separate bilateral meetings with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts on Sunday. The trilateral summit between the presidents of the three countries was last held in December 2019, in China’s southwestern city of Chengdu. It has not taken place for more than four years, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as relations deteriorated between Seoul and Tokyo. The South Korean government, which aims to hold this kind of summit before the end of this year, has been in talks with Japan and China after the three countries agreed to hold the three-way meeting at an early date, during a senior officials’ meeting in September. While there are a lot of different speculation as to when the summit will be held, one expert says it could take place next month. “The three countries have already decided to hold the summit as soon as possible, during working-level talks, and the summit between South Korea, China and Japan is traditionally held in December. So I think it could possibly be held in late December.“ But he explains that the issues surrounding Taiwan and strained relations between Seoul and Beijing could pose risks. China earlier lodged a complaint after President Yoon pointed out the importance of “peace and stability“ in the Taiwan Strait and a “rules-based maritime order“ in the South China Sea --in an interview with a British media outlet, ahead of his visit to London. Other pundits suggest that the summit could be held sometime early next year, either in January or April. Sunday will also mark the first time in more than two years for Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit South Korea. All eyes are now on the message China will send in response to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News. #SouthKorea #Japan #China #Summit #Trilateral_summit #대한민국 #일본 #중국 #한일중_외교장관_회의 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2023-11-24, 18:00 (KST)