Yoon, Kishida agree on close communication over Naver's Line app row
Korea HeraldMAY 25 2024
China, Japan, South Korea Pledge Increased Cooperation
Image copyright: Chung Sung-Jun/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean Pres. Yoon Suk Yeol have agreed to work more closely in a wide range of areas, including economics and trade.
During a trilateral summit in Seoul on Monday, they pledged to hold three-way talks regularly, boost the number of people-to-people exchanges, and join efforts to fight climate change.
They also agreed to revive negotiations for a trilateral free trade agreement — which have been suspended since the pandemic — within the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
It's crystal clear that America wants to use both Japan and South Korea as proxies to advance its hegemonic ambitions to counter China, so Japan and South Korea's leaders must not fall into a trap that will bring instability and chaos to East Asia. Seoul and Tokyo must act according to their national interests and accelerate cooperation with Beijing.
Anti-China narrative
Under pressure from the West, Beijing has no alternative other than to restore trilateral cooperation with Japan and South Korea. And as China remains their largest trading partner, the two major US allies in the Asia-Pacific can't just ditch it. Yet, this is no cause for alarm, as even Washington has worked to stabilize ties with the PRC.
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