China’s premier to convene special meeting with South Korea and Japan, key U.S. allies

Leaders from China, Japan, and South Korea are set to meet for the first three-way talks in four years in Seoul on Monday, aiming to revive trade and security dialogues amidst global tensions.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will focus on six key areas including the economy, trade, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, and health and the aging population, according to Seoul officials.

The summit follows separate bilateral talks between the leaders, where agreements were made to resume diplomatic and security dialogues, free trade talks, and high-level economic dialogues.

President Yoon urged China to play a constructive role in dealing with North Korea’s expanding nuclear weapons and missile arsenal, which is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. North Korea has notified Japan of its plan to launch a rocket carrying a space satellite between May 27 and June 4, prompting demands from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea to cancel the launch.

While officials have set a low bar for the summit in terms of major announcements, the gathering is seen as a step towards reviving and reinvigorating strained relations between the three countries. The leaders are expected to agree on resuming free trade agreement negotiations during the meeting.

China, South Korea, and Japan are navigating rising distrust amid the rivalry between Beijing and Washington, as well as tensions over Taiwan. The summit aims to manage these challenges and strengthen cooperation among the three nations.