Foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea meet in Tokyo on March 21, 2025. This meeting was their first trilateral meeting since March 2023. The foreign ministers’ meetings were supposed to focus on important short-term regional problems like North Korean nuclear ambitions and US-Sino trade war discord. This momentous meeting was seen as clearing the way for a future trilateral summit. It builds on a previous convening held in Seoul, South Korea last year.
The meeting was co-hosted by Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul were present and it is their first meeting in this format. Tokyo and Seoul, close allies of Washington, welcome thousands of U.S. troops. As they told us, in their view China, the world’s second-largest economy, represents an increasing regional security challenge.
Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya reiterated the importance of the meeting in light of the increasingly volatile international environment.
"Given the increasingly severe international situation, I believe we may truly be at a turning point in history." – Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya
These intense discussions will focus especially on the wide-ranging and existential North Korean nuclear threats. They should, too—think, for example, of the unwarranted trade retaliation China imposed on Japan after the 2023 release of seawater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. This year is the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. It became a crucial point that shed light on long-standing hate between China and Japan, revealing Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
Wang Yi highlighted the need for collaboration and historical understanding between the three countries.
"Our three countries should reaffirm our shared understanding of facing history honestly and looking toward the future, and strengthen East Asian cooperation." – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Cho Tae-yul, vice-minister of foreign affairs, emphasized that sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula was essential for the prosperity of the region.
"The peace and security of the Korean Peninsula are essential conditions for peace and prosperity in East Asia and the world, and I hope that candid discussion on the North Korean nuclear issue will take place today." – South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul
The round continues to lay the foundation for crucial economic discussions around Japan and China. In particular, Iwaya is scheduled to hold stand-alone talks with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts.
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