SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday (Jan 13), a week after one with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Seoul seeks to balance ties with both neighbours.
The summit in Japan’s Nara City comes amid a growing diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, and analysts expect Takaichi to highlight the stability of three-way ties between the United States, Japan and South Korea.
Lee has taken an approach of “pragmatic diplomacy” in seeking to balance ties with China and Japan, which could make it easier to reach pacts in business fields such as artificial intelligence.
“Historically, disputes between China and Japan go on for a long time,” said Yang Kee-ho, a Japanese studies professor at South Korea’s Sungkonghoe University.
“It is very likely that the Sino-Japanese relationship will deteriorate throughout (Takaichi’s) term in office.”
Beijing was infuriated after Takaichi said in November that a Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could be deemed an existential threat to Japan, which could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory, a claim the island’s government rejects.
In the face of the tension with China, Japan may seek to bolster diplomatic ties with South Korea, possibly through a strategic partnership, said Lee Chang-min, another Japan expert at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“Not only has Japan’s relationship with China deteriorated, the US has also put a little distance from Japan in its (Taiwan) stance,” said Lee.
South Korea’s Lee and Takaichi may discuss the Japan-China dispute during their meeting, a security adviser to Lee, Wi Sung-lac, said on Friday. However, South Korea is unlikely to take sides, analysts said.
“Our relationship with Japan is as important as our relationship with China,” Lee told reporters during his state visit to China last week.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/south-korea-lee-jae-myung-meet-japan-sanae-takaichi-5852411
