ED FM meeting, partial success

The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan met in Busan, Saturday to discuss a diverse range of issues of mutual concern, such as the potential trilateral summit, among others. The three-way meeting drew special attention, because it was the first one to take place since a gathering of foreign ministers in Chengdu, China, in August 2019. In a preliminary meeting before the gathering, the three sides agreed on the need to hold the summit at the “mutually convenient and earliest date possible." Despite this, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took flak for failing to give an exact answer over the summit’s concrete itinerary.

Wang deserves criticism for refusing to hold a joint press conference, citing he had no time to lose. Given this, the envisaged trilateral summit is not likely to be held within this year, notwithstanding the expectation it would help find a breakthrough for major regional issues. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said the participants agreed to speed up efforts to make the three-way summit feasible.

Seoul-Beijing relations have remained lackluster under the current Yoon Suk Yeol administration amid an intensifying hegemonic rivalry between the United States and China. The two countries have also remained poles apart regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and North Korea. Prompted by Russia’s alleged assistance of military technology to the North, Seoul-Moscow relations have also deteriorated.

Close cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing cannot be overemphasized. China is the only nation that can apply the brakes on North Korea’s bid to build up its nuclear capabilities. On the economic front, it is also necessary to strengthen cooperation with China, which is South Korea's largest trading partner. For China, cooperation with South Korea is also significant in its bid to counter the U.S.

Seoul and Beijing should closely consult with each other to cope with growing regional tensions, most recently triggered by the North’s launch of a surveillance satellite in violation of United Nations resolutions. China attempted to avoid responsibility by saying, “We are not the corresponding part.” But this is not appropriate considering the fact that China is a member of the U.N. Security Council. China, along with Russia, invited criticism for opposing retaliatory measures against Pyongyang, claiming that the North’s provocation does not constitute a violation of U.N. resolutions.

The international community, regrettably, has failed to take any steps against the North despite its alleged provision of weapons and ammunitions to Russia in its war against Ukraine. China should remember that the possible stabilization of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula will also help promote its national interests.

The much-touted summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not occur on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event in San Francisco. Xi became the target of criticism here for bypassing Yoon, even though he met the leaders of other nations, such as Brunei and Fiji as well as the United States and Japan. In contrast, Yoon met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the seventh time this year.

The recent ministerial meeting clearly shows that the three neighboring countries still have a long and bumpy road ahead toward mutual cooperation and prosperity. The three account for more than 20 percent of the global population and economy. This means they can make greater contributions to solving pending global problems as well as regional issues once they join hands and beef up cooperation based on the spirit of mutual benefit and respect.

Already intertwined with their history, the three countries have an indispensable relationship in terms of global supply channels, trade and investment. They should meet more often to narrow the difference in opinions while expanding the basis of mutual understanding. Wang also expressed hopes of “strengthening communication with Korea.” This should not end in words only. China should act more proactively to enhance bilateral relations with South Korea. For this, mutual efforts to realize the Yoon-Xi summit is most essential.