Global Courant
TOKYO — China’s top diplomat Wang Yi suggested high-level talks between China, Japan and South Korea during a meeting with Japan’s foreign minister in Indonesia in July, Kyodo news agency reported Sunday.
The proposal is seen as a sign of readiness to resume talks between the three countries, and Japan is accelerating preparations to make it happen by the end of 2023, Kyodo said, citing unidentified diplomatic sources.
US allies Japan and South Korea are wary of China’s growing military assertiveness and rising tensions between China and the United States over a range of issues, including trade and self-governed Taiwan.
Wang and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met on July 14 on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Indonesia.
They discussed a Japanese plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, but failed to agree.
The water issue could be a sticking point preventing an early meeting of leaders of the three countries, Kyodo said.
The last time the leaders of the three countries met was in December 2019.
Japan has passed Mr. Wang’s proposal to South Korea for the talks, Kyodo said. REUTERS
