Commitment to enhance cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea

Seoul, May 28. The top leaders of South Korea, China and Japan discussed regional stability in the first meeting held on Monday after five years.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have met in Seoul for the first time in five years for trilateral talks.

Although North Korea was not officially on the agenda for the talks, Kishida said after the meeting, “All three countries have confirmed that denuclearization is in their common interest.”

A few hours before the talks, North Korea had announced plans to launch another spy satellite into space. This would violate a UN ban on testing using ballistic technology.

Yun and Kishida asked Pyongyang to cancel the launch, while the South Korean leader said that it would undermine regional and global peace and stability.

He called for a “decisive” international reaction if Kim goes ahead with his fourth launch. Seoul has claimed that Russian assistance will come in exchange for sending weapons for use in Ukraine.

“We reaffirmed once again that the denuclearization and stability of North Korea on the Korean Peninsula is in the common interests of our three countries,” Kishida said after the meeting.

Analysts say there is significant technological overlap between space launch capability and ballistic missile development.

China is North Korea’s biggest trading partner and key diplomatic ally and has long condemned Pyongyang’s weapons tests.

In his opening speech, Chinese Premier Li said that the three countries are “willing to cooperate for mutual benefit”.

“Lee has called for turning economic and trade issues into political games or security matters, rejecting protectionism and severing supply chains,” Reuters reported.

He said that the three countries have decided to create a transparent and predictable environment for trade and investment and to establish a safe supply chain.