On May 27, the ninth trilateral summit between China, Japan and South Korea was convened in Seoul, during which the three parties issued a joint declaration announcing a series of cooperative agreements. It signifies that the trilateral cooperation mechanism has got back on track after a more than four-year hiatus due to the pandemic and growing global geopolitical tensions.
China, Japan and South Korea kick started the trilateral cooperation mechanism in the aftermath of the 1998 Asian financial crisis. With a vision to create a free trade zone and perhaps even a common currency, the mechanism made significant progress in the following two decades, evolving into a comprehensive cooperation framework. With the leaders’ meeting as its core, it was supported by 21 ministerial level meetings and over 70 dialogue mechanisms, covering more than 30 areas including economy, trade, culture, education, environment, technology and health.
In 2011, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat was established in Seoul, making it the most institutionalized multilateral cooperation architecture in Northeast Asia. From 1999 to 2008, leaders of the three countries held eight meetings within the ASEAN+3 framework.
But wartime history and rising economic competition overshadowed the cooperation momentum. The leaders’ meetings were suspended between 2005 and 2007 due to then Japanese leader’s visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan’s WWII criminals are revered, despite strong condemnation from China and South Korea. From 2008 to 2012, the summit was held separately from the ASEAN+3 framework for five consecutive years, and suspended in 2013 and 2014 again due to intensified territorial disputes among them. Only three meetings were convened between 2013 and 2019.
Taking China as a strategic and systematic rival, the US strived to upgrade its defense ties with Japan and South Korea.
Against this backdrop, the recent summit that has brought the leaders of China, Japan, and South Korea together to shake hands carries significant symbolic implications beyond the trilateral relationship itself. This trilateral mechanism has served and should continue to serve as a model of multilateral cooperation that transcends ideological differences, in pursuit of common ground while shelving differences.
The resumption of leaders’ meetings does not guarantee a bright future for bilateral or trilateral cooperation for the three countries, but it reflects that cooperation remains in the common interests of the three. As the US decoupling agenda against China has disrupted the global supply chain, Japan and South Korea are trying to rebalance their relations with China to better safeguard their own economic interests. As close neighbors, the security and well-being of China, Japan and South Korea are closely intertwined.
Looking ahead, China, Japan and South Korea need to make concerted efforts to address long-standing prominent issues accumulated over the years, primarily in three main areas. First, they need to transform competition into coordination and promote the transformation and upgrading of economic and trade cooperation. Second, they need to rebuild mutual political trust and work together to overcome regional security challenges. Third, they need to significantly improve public opinion foundations and rebuild mutual understanding.
Over the past 25 years, the three parties have often downplayed the complex and sensitive political and security issues between them. It is imperative for the three countries to effectively translate cooperation consensus into concrete policy actions for the sake of the long-term security and prosperity of the region.
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