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BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhuanet) -- The meeting between China, Japan and South Korea used to be an annual event, but divisions over Tokyo’s wartime past have strained relations with Beijing and Seoul.
The future of Northeast Asia relations lies in the balance.
"Basically there were political transitions in all the three countries. And the new set of leaders could not find a common basis to start their relationships. I think from the perspective here in Korea and also China, really they see it as a reaction to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his position on history issues. It’s kind of a non-starter if you’re Xi Jinping or Park Geun-hye," said John Delury of Yonsei University.
Senior high-level officials from the three countries met in Seoul earlier this month to lay the groundwork for Saturday’s meeting.
If all goes well, some experts say a trilateral summit among the countries’ leaders may not be far off. Others, however, are more cautious about what to expect in terms of real progress.
"It has taken a lot of political will just to get to this step. But it’s a baby step and I think you’d be mistaken to look for anything really big coming out of this. This is really a preliminary resumption of basic dialogue between the three capitals," Delury said.
Back on March 1st, President Park called Japan an important partner that shares common principles.
But in order to move forward, the president called on Tokyo to courageously and sincerely recognize what she called ‘historic reality.’
"Korea has offered a condition to Japan, so unless that condition is met, there can only be limitations to normalized relations. Unless Japan’s domestic political situation changes, the country won’t easily accept the condition. That’s why relations are difficult when looking at this issue," said Kim Han-Kwon, Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
Officials from the three countries continue to cooperate on other issues like the economy, environment, and security.
But until there is a solution to the current diplomatic and political stalemate, full-fledged co-operation remains hindered.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
