This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
On Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will host a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Chengdu, China. The meeting comes as tensions between Washington and Pyongyang continue to rise.
According to Chinese vice foreign minister Luo Zhaohui, the visiting leaders will also hold separate talks with President Xi Jinping. The meeting aims to 'have a constructive effect on achieving peace and stability on the Korean peninsula', as stated by Luo.
However, the leaders will not be discussing a proposed UN resolution introduced by China and Russia this week, which seeks to lift some of the punitive measures enforced on North Korea over its nuclear activities. Pyongyang has issued a year-end ultimatum, promising an ominous 'Christmas gift' if Washington does not come up with some concessions.
Additionally, the meeting will also address tensions between Japan and South Korea, which have deteriorated over Tokyo's use of forced labour during World War II. The diplomatic friction has resulted in tit-for-tat trade restrictions and the scrapping of a military information-sharing pact between the two.
Despite the tensions, Luo stated that China 'did not feel that the disagreement between South Korea and Japan had any negative influence on trilateral cooperation'. The three leaders will also discuss 'accelerating' negotiations for a trilateral free trade deal.
