Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have arrived in Seoul for a trilateral summit with their South Korean counterpart - their first three-way talks in more than four years.
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The neighbours had agreed to hold a summit every year starting in 2008 to boost regional co-operation, but the initiative has been disrupted by bilateral feuds and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their last trilateral summit was in late 2019.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Kishida and Li will adopt a joint statement on six areas including the economy and trade, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges and health and the aging population, Seoul officials said.
Yoon is set to hold bilateral talks with Li and Kishida on Sunday, ahead of their three-way gathering on Monday.
Kishida is also expected to meet Li separately on Sunday, during which he will raise a Chinese ban of Japanese seafood imports and Taiwan, NHK reported, citing the Japanese government.
Speaking with reporters before departing for Seoul, Kishida said he would seek "open and frank" discussions and hoped to foster future-oriented practical co-operation by revitalising the trilateral process.
At the talks with Li, Kishida said he would like to "firmly confirm the direction of the mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests and constructive and stable Japan-China relations".
The summit comes as South Korea and Japan have been working to mend ties frayed by historical disputes while deepening a trilateral security partnership with the United States amid intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
China has previously warned that US efforts to further elevate relations with South Korea and Japan could fan regional tension and confrontation.
Seoul and Tokyo have warned against any attempts to forcibly change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, while Beijing criticised a decision by South Korean and Japanese MPs to attend Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's inauguration.
The summit might not bring a major breakthrough on sensitive issues but could make progress in areas of practical co-operation such as people-to-people exchanges and consular matters, officials and diplomats said.
Australian Associated Press
