Amid rising tensions between the US and China, three East Asian economic powers are engaged in revitalizing their top diplomacy. However, despite attempting a “communication balancing act,” they are encountering major challenges.
China’s Prime Minister Li Qiang recently visited South Korea as part of a charm offensive. This visit coincided with the first trilateral summit between China, Japan, and South Korea in Seoul after a gap of five years. Following his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Li emphasized the need for a new sense of responsibility and commitment in the cooperation between the three countries.
In a joint declaration, the three governments pledged to boost personal exchanges through mutual visits, aiming to increase the number of tourists, students, and cultural workers traveling between the countries to 40 million by 2030. Additionally, negotiations for a trilateral free trade zone are set to be expedited. This initiative holds great significance as it would connect 20 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the global economy. Previous summit attempts failed in 2019 due to various reasons, including the pandemic and unresolved points of contention.
South Korea’s deputy security adviser hailed the recent summit as a turning point, envisioning future-oriented cooperation among the three countries. However, observers remain cautious about the situation. China is trying to weaken its neighbors’ ties with the US through aggressive actions by its partners Russia and North Korea. North Korea’s support for Russia in its conflict with Ukraine and plans for space rocket launches have become pressing concerns addressed in trilateral talks.
The USA is also advancing its security interests in the region through alliances like trilateral partnership with South Korea and Japan and Aukus military pact with Australia and Great Britain. Additionally, Quad security dialogue aims to strengthen ties with India to counter China’s influence. Japan and South Korea are navigating their own geostrategic
