Foreign ministers from Japan, China, and South Korea met in Tokyo on Saturday for the 11th Trilateral Foreign Minister’s Meeting to discuss regional security and economic cooperation as global tensions rise.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul sought common ground on pressing issues such as North Korea, trade, and aging populations.
The meeting comes at a time of shifting global alliances, as U.S. foreign policy changes under President Donald Trump. With both Japan and South Korea aligned with Washington, Beijing is looking to strengthen regional ties amid rising tensions with the West.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during the 11th Trilateral Foreign Minister’s Meeting (Japan-China-ROK) in Tokyo on March 22, 2025, Japan. Rodrigo Reyes Marin/Pool via REUTERS
Key Discussions and Challenges
According to Reuters, at the opening of the meeting, Iwaya acknowledged the importance of the talks, stating:“Given the increasingly severe international situation, we may truly be at a turning point in history.”
The ministers agreed to accelerate preparations for a trilateral summit in Japan, where discussions would extend to economic cooperation and demographic challenges, including declining birth rates and aging populations.
China’s Wang Yi highlighted the economic power of the three nations, stating: “With a combined population of nearly 1.6 billion and an economic output exceeding $24 trillion, we have great influence.”
Wang also called for the resumption of free trade talks and the expansion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a 15-nation trade pact.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul shake hands as , Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya smiles during a joint press conference after their discussions at the 11th Trilateral Foreign Minister’s Meeting (Japan-China-ROK) in Tokyo on March 22, 2025, Japan. Rodrigo Reyes Marin/Pool via REUTERS
However, deep divisions persist. China’s support for North Korea, its military activity near Taiwan, and its backing of Russia in the Ukraine war remain points of contention.
South Korea’s Cho Tae-yul urged China to use its influence over North Korea, stating: “Illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea must stop immediately.”
Japan also raised concerns over China’s ban on Japanese seafood imports, imposed after the Fukushima wastewater release in 2023. Iwaya will hold separate high-level talks with China to address this issue, marking the first such economic dialogue in six years.
