On November 26, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Busan for the 10th trilateral foreign ministers' meeting. This rendezvous marked the first face-to-face exchange among top diplomats since 2019, signifying a pivotal move towards deepening neighborhood diplomacy and setting the stage for a forthcoming trilateral leaders' summit.
\"China will continue to adhere to the basic policy of its neighborhood diplomacy, which is to pursue friendship and partnership with its neighbors and work with the ROK and Japan to push the cooperation among the three countries back on the right track,\" stated Minister Wang.
The initiative to create conditions for a leaders' summit represents a substantial advancement in regional diplomacy. The previous meeting in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, offered a strategic vision to navigate significant shifts within the international community. During that summit, participating countries explored avenues to accelerate three-way trade and advocate for greater stability in the global economy.
To ensure meaningful preparations for the upcoming summit, it is crucial for all parties to eliminate external interference in their relations and strengthen mutual trust. Respecting each other's legitimate development and security interests has been pivotal in forging strategic common ground through past trilateral gatherings. Optimism is high as Seoul and Beijing commit to enhancing their strategic cooperative partnership, while Tokyo agrees to intensify strategic and security dialogues in the near future.
Notably, the meeting highlighted positive strides in expanding economic and trade initiatives across multiple levels. Proposals such as the resumption of China-Japan-ROK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations present new opportunities to reignite trade diplomacy momentum and contribute positively to regional and global economic recovery. The three nations are highly complementary and interconnected economies, collectively accounting for approximately 25 percent of the global gross domestic product.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
