SEOUL: Chinese Premier Li Qiang praised what he called restart in relations with Japan and South Korea as he met their leaders for first three-way talks in four years, agreeing to revive trade and security dialogues hampered by global tensions.

Chinese premier met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul with efforts to revitalise three-party free trade agreement negotiations, stalled since 2019, high on agenda.

As summit opened, Li said meeting was “Both restart and new beginning” and called for comprehensive resumption of cooperation between East Asia’s economic powerhouses. But for this to happen politics should be separated from economic and trade issues, he added, calling for an end to protectionism and decoupling of supply chains.

“For China, South Korea and Japan, our close ties will not change, spirit of cooperation achieved through crisis response will not change and our mission to safeguard regional peace and stability will not change,” Li said.

Joint declaration released after meeting called for China, Japan and South Korea to formalise more regular communication at highest levels, and collaborate on climate change, conservation, health, trade and international peace, among other areas.

On North Korea, Yoon and Kishida called on Pyongyang not to carry out planned rocket launch carrying space satellite, which they say uses ballistic missile technology banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions. Monday’s summit comes day after leaders met separately for bilateral talks with each other.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 28 2024

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