Japan, China, S. Korea foreign chiefs to meet in Tokyo on Saturday

The three ministers are expected to discuss ways to promote economic cooperation and personnel exchanges at a time when US President Donald Trump's tariffs are making the global economy's outlook uncertain.

They are also likely to lay the groundwork for a proposed three-way summit that Japan aims to host this year.

The Saturday meeting will be chaired by Iwaya and attended by his Chinese and South Korean counterparts, Wang Yi and Cho Tae-yul, respectively.

The three East Asian neighbors' foreign chiefs last met in November 2023, in South Korea's Busan.

Iwaya told a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday that he would like to exchange opinions frankly with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts to promote future-oriented cooperation.

The Japanese, Chinese and South Korean ministers will also hold bilateral talks on the sidelines on Saturday.

Iwaya and Wang will chair a high-level economic dialogue between Japan and China, the first such meeting in about six years.

Iwaya and Wang are expected to discuss China's import restrictions on Japanese fishery products and beef, China's aggressive behaviour in the East China Sea and South China Sea and the detentions of Japanese nationals in China.

Iwaya and Cho are likely to reaffirm their countries' commitment to improve their relations further despite political turmoil in South Korea. Japan and South Korea mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic ties this year. 

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Photo by Reuters