SEOUL: South Korea’s presidential office announced that the leaders of South Korea, Japan, and China will meet for their first trilateral summit in over four years in Seoul on May 26-27. President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea will engage in bilateral meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on May 26, with a three-way meeting scheduled for the following day, as stated by South Korean deputy national security advisor Kim Tae-hyo.
Following the summit, the leaders will adopt a joint statement covering six key areas, including the economy and trade. The annual summit initiative, which began in 2008 to foster regional cooperation, was disrupted by bilateral disputes and the Covid-19 pandemic, with the last trilateral meeting held in late 2019.
This summit takes place amidst efforts by Japan and South Korea to improve relations strained by historical issues and to strengthen a trilateral security partnership with the US, given the escalating US-China rivalry.
China has previously cautioned that US attempts to further bolster ties with Tokyo and Seoul could exacerbate regional tensions and lead to confrontation.
