South Korea, China, Japan to Hold First Summit in 4 Years on May 26-27
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will hold their first trilateral summit in more than four years in Seoul on May 26-27, Seoul’s presidential office said on May 23.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will have bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on May 26, ahead of their three-way gathering the following day, South Korean deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo said, Reuters reported.
The three will adopt a joint statement on six areas including the economy and trade following the summit, he told a briefing.
The neighbors had agreed to hold a summit every year starting in 2008 to boost regional cooperation, but the initiative was disrupted by bilateral feuds and the COVID-19 pandemic. Their last trilateral summit was in late 2019.
The summit comes as South Korea and Japan have been working to improve ties strained by historical disputes while deepening a trilateral security partnership with the United States amid intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
Beijing has previously warned that Washington's efforts to further elevate relations with Seoul and Tokyo could stoke tension and confrontation in the region.