Japan, China and South Korea 'restore' fraught ties

The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea say they have "completely restored" trade and security ties, at their first meeting in three years.

Korean President Lee Myung-bak(c), Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama(l) and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao(r) holding the third trilateral summit in Jeju Island on May 29, 2010

They said in a statement they had agreed to resume regular trilateral meetings, not held since 2012. They were held regularly until three-and-a-half years ago, when they were called off as bad feeling towards Japan intensified.

Map of East Asia, showing China, South Korea and Japan

In a joint statement by South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,

"We shared the view that trilateral co-operation has been completely restored on the occasion of this summit.

The talks in the South Korean capital, Seoul, were an attempt to ease ill-feeling fuelled by territorial disputes and historical disagreements. China and South Korea say Japan has not done enough to atone for its troops' brutality in World War Two.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivering a speech in 2013

They also agreed to improve their economic co-operation. Ms Park said the three leaders had agreed to work together to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a 16-nation free trade area favoured by Beijing.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in London in 2014

South Korea and Japan are torn between their allegiance to the US and their need to get on economically with Beijing. Mr. Li met Ms Park on Saturday (October 31) and the two agreed to try to increase trade, particularly through more Korean exports of food to China and co-operation on research into robotics. The two leaders were joined by Mr. Abe on Sunday.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2013

In addition, the three countries maintained their goal of "denuclearising" North Korea.

An industrial plant in Hamhung, North Korea

(All images - credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)