Youth delegates from Japan showcase T-shirts featuring ink-splashed designs duringthe closing ceremony of the 2024 Ningbo Youth Exchange for the Cultural City ofEast Asia at the Ningbo Museum in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, on August 24, 2024 (XINHUA)

As the world teeters on the edge of fragmentation—rattled by trade wars, simmering conflicts and fragile supply chains—three East Asian neighbors have turned to diplomacy. On March 22, Japan hosted the 11th Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo, bringing together foreign ministers Wang Yi of China, Takeshi Iwaya of Japan and Cho Tae-yul of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to reinforce regional cooperation.

The meeting proved a pragmatic response to shared challenges, focusing on practical collaboration in trade, technological innovation and cultural exchange. One day earlier, on March 21, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hosted a meeting with all three ministers, where Wang cited an old Chinese proverb, "close neighbors are better than relatives far away," underscoring the urgency of regional solidarity.

Their March 21 dialogue laid essential groundwork for the upcoming 10th China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting, an annual gathering attended by leaders of the three countries, affirming a shared commitment to navigating global uncertainty together. Wang's call for promoting trilateral cooperation to achieve the effect of "1+1+1>3" captured the essence of their vision, channeling collective strength to surpass individual interests.

At a time when global alliances shift like sand, China, Japan and the ROK are opting for dialogue and mutual understanding.

Building a trilateral future 

Launched in 1999 amid the Asian financial crisis, the trilateral cooperation mechanism between China, Japan and the ROK has evolved into a resilient diplomatic framework. Rotating annually among the three countries, the meetings emphasize collaboration across diverse sectors and aim to promote the region's stability and development.

Over the years, the mechanism has matured, hosting 21 ministerial-level meetings and nine leaders' summits. A pivotal moment occurred in 2019, with the release of the Trilateral Cooperation Vision for the Next Decade on December 24 in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province in southwest China, during the Eighth China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting. This document underscored the trio's commitment to fast-tracking negotiations for a comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Agreement, building on progress from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The latter is the world's largest free trade deal, consisting of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their five main trading partners, namely, China, Japan, the ROK, Australia and New Zealand.

The idea of establishing a China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Zone was first proposed in 2002. A decade later, in November 2012, trade ministers of the three countries officially launched negotiations during the 17th East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. By November 2019, the parties had completed 16 rounds of talks. However, since 2020, the process has stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shifts in both domestic and international circumstances. During the foreign ministers' meeting on March 21, Wang called for resuming the negotiations at an early date.

Data from the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) highlight the enormous potential of the cooperation initiative. A fully realized trilateral free trade zone would create an economic bloc encompassing nearly 1.59 billion consumers, accounting for 23.4 percent of global GDP and about 18.7 percent of global trade.

Early on January 1, the TCS announced the selection of the Chinese word weilai, meaning "future," as the Spirit Word of the Year for 2025. TCS Secretary General Lee Hee-sup noted that the term symbolizes more than optimism; it conveys the shared vision of innovation, cooperation and growth among the three nations.

Chen Zilei, Director of the Japan Economic Research Center at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, emphasized that the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting is a key institutional arrangement fostering high-level dialogue in an interview with financial news platform Yicai.com on March 23. He added, "This series of meetings has driven exchanges in the political, economic and cultural fields among the three countries."

Beyond economic integration 

Following the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting, China and Japan convened the Sixth High-Level Economic Dialogue on the afternoon of March 22, the first in six years, marking a momentous step toward reviving bilateral cooperation. Co-chaired by the foreign ministers and joined by leaders from 15 government departments of the two countries, the dialogue underscored the importance both nations place on restoring economic engagement amid complex regional dynamics.

Established in 2007, the China-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue is a key platform for comprehensive economic consultations between the two governments. However, the mechanism had been dormant since its fifth session in 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deteriorating bilateral ties and increasing external geopolitical pressures.

During the talks, Wang emphasized the enduring strength and potential of Sino-Japanese economic ties. Since the normalization of diplomatic relations in September 1972, bilateral trade has expanded more than 300-fold and has consistently remained above $300 billion annually for 15 consecutive years. Cumulative two-way investment now approaches $140 billion. With closely intertwined industrial chains and deeply integrated interests, the economic relationship between China and Japan has brought tangible benefits to both populations.

Wang highlighted that these figures are not just economic indicators—they reflect a broader reality: China and Japan are partners, not adversaries; they represent opportunities, not risks. He urged both countries to reject division and embrace cooperation, especially at a time when global economic shifts, protectionist trends and challenges to globalization are intensifying. As major global economies, China and Japan share a responsibility to promote mutual understanding and innovation-driven collaboration. Doing so, he noted, would not only bridge existing differences but also inject fresh momentum into global growth and contribute to a more stable and predictable international economic environment.

After the meeting, Iwaya described their conversation as productive, stating that both sides engaged in candid exchange not only on avenues for cooperation but also on how to manage challenges and navigate differences.

According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China and Japan reached 20 key consensuses during the meeting, committing to jointly build a constructive and stable Sino-Japanese economic and trade relationship suited to the demands of a new era. Officials from both governments held in-depth discussions across a wide range of areas, including macroeconomic policy coordination, trade and investment, the digital economy, green development, ecological protection, cultural exchange and regional cooperation. These deliberations laid the groundwork for future collaboration and reflected a broad alignment of interests across strategic sectors.

"AI, the digital economy, green trade, energy conservation and environmental protection are all innovative areas of cooperation that set China-Japan collaboration apart from traditional domains," said Chen. "The prospects for joint efforts in these emerging fields are promising and worth anticipating."

He also emphasized that the mutual support between China and Japan for the upcoming Kansai Osaka Expo, which will open in mid-April and conclude in October, as well as for the China International Import Expo—an annual trade fair held in Shanghai every November since 2018—demonstrates their shared commitment to enhancing economic and trade cooperation through these platforms. 

Cautious optimism 

Deeper cooperation among China, Japan and the ROK is not only an inevitable trend but also a strategic necessity for all three nations. "From a broader geopolitical viewpoint, the return of Donald Trump to the White House has stirred regional recalculations," Wang Chong, a senior research fellow at the Chahar Institute, a Beijing-based think tank, shared with Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po newspaper on March 23. "Japan and the ROK are beginning to recognize that relying solely on the U.S. is no longer viable and that they must diversify their diplomatic strategies."

According to Wang Chong, both Japan and the ROK have learned difficult lessons in the past and now have to handle an uncertain future. As a result, there is a growing recognition in Tokyo and Seoul regarding the importance and urgency of trilateral cooperation with China as a stabilizing force in East Asia. He characterized this shift as a response to evolving U.S. policies under President Trump, particularly in light of his administration's demands for higher military hosting fees and a more transactional alliance framework.

China has long advocated a "neighborhood-first" foreign policy, promoting closer ties with regional partners based on proximity and mutual benefit. Yet, despite the encouraging tone of the recent trilateral foreign ministers' meeting, Wang Chong urged for a tempered outlook.

"The positive optics shouldn't be mistaken for immediate breakthroughs," he cautioned. "Both Japan and the ROK appear to be pursuing hedging strategies, balancing their security commitments to the U.S. while keeping regional cooperation with China as a counterweight." 

As Wang Yi stressed at the ministers' meeting, "We are bound to encounter headwinds, but being undeterred by them is a state of mind." By anchoring cooperation in mutual benefit, China, Japan and the ROK can craft a model of "Asian wisdom" that resists zero-sum geopolitics. BR

(Print Edition Title: The Proximity Principle)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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