Japan, China, South Korea Plan Maritime Talks
China is working with Japan and South Korea to arrange foreign minister talks next week, pairing a hard-line stance on maritime issues with a greater willingness for dialogue, says a report in SCMP.
The Tokyo Shimbun daily said the three countries were making arrangements for the meeting to be held on Aug. 23 and 24 in Tokyo to lay the groundwork for a three-way summit that Tokyo is set to host this year.
According to Reuters, last month, a senior Japanese foreign ministry official said Japan was considering holding the meeting in late August, but the flare-up in Sino-Japanese tension had fueled concern it was difficult to have such a meeting now.
Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, the Beijing-datelined story said it was possible that Japan's Coast Guard rescue of Chinese fishermen last week had warmed China to the idea of sending Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Japan for the meeting.
The three-way foreign ministers’ and summit meetings are an important framework on discussions of pressing regional issues, such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
Tension between Japan and China mounted this month after a growing number of Chinese Coast Guard and other government ships sailed near disputed islets in the East China Sea.