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Nuke issue, economy key 'challenges'

By Tan Yingzi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-12 07:49

Although the trilateral summit between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) over the weekend will help enhance trust among the three nations, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and regional integration remained tough tasks ahead for the neighbors, experts said yesterday.

"Regional cooperation and denuclearization are very complicated issues and we cannot expect the meeting to solve all these problems," said Liu Jiangyong, a senior expert at Tsinghua University. "Things can change at any minute."

But, overall, "the meeting went much better than expected", Liu told China Daily yesterday.

Historical disputes and conflicts have shaped the trilateral relationship over the years and it has seen many ups and downs. However, thanks to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's trip to Pyongyang recently and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's Asia-centric policy, the summit had created significant outlines for future cooperation, he said.

Huo Jiangang, a scholar at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said there was still a long way to go before all-round cooperation in East Asia could be realized.

"Both China and Japan are now just focusing on economic and trade cooperation," he said. "Cooperation in the area of regional security is completely another story as the US still plays a very important role in East Asia."

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At the summit, ROK President Lee Myung-bak, Wen and Hatoyama drew up fresh plans for future cooperation, including the building of mutual trust, pursuing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and firming up the regional economy.

The trilateral meeting was Hatoyama's first visit to China after he took office as Japan's prime minister last month.

It was also the second such trilateral summit between the neighbors. The first independent trilateral leaders' summit took place last December in Fukuoka, Japan.

Joint statements

After the summit, the three countries issued statements on trilateral cooperation and sustainable development.

"The two statements are hugely important and novel," Liu said.

He listed building mutual trust, respecting each other's core interests and military exchange among the new items in the trilateral relationship.

The three neighbors also pledged to work hard to develop a green economy, make joint efforts to facilitate a virtuous cycle between the social and economic system and the natural and ecological system, promote balance between economic growth and social development, and contribute to the realization of sustainable development.

Last year, trade among the three leading Asian economies, which now accounts for one-sixth of the world economy and 90 percent of East Asia's, surged to $500 billion.

"We are close neighbors and major states in Asia, and to boost cooperation among us will not only conform to our respective interests, but also be conducive for Asia and the world at large," Wen said.

DPRK nuclear issue

Though Wen asked his counterparts to seize the opportunity to tackle the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, some analysts said "the ball was actually in the hands of the US".

"If the US and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) cannot make progress on this issue, the re-launch of the Six-Party Talks will still be out of reach," Liu said.

During Wen's visit to Pyongyang last week, the first by a Chinese Premier in 18 years, DPRK leader Kim Jong-il said his country was ready to rejoin the stalled Six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, which involves the DPRK, the ROK, China, Japan, the US and Russia.

"During my stay there, I met with Kim several times and for a total of 10 hours, including the longest conversation, which lasted for four hours," Wen told Lee and Hatoyama on Saturday.

The DPRK had "showed no opposition to the (Six-Party) talks and expressed willingness to tackle the issue through bilateral and multilateral dialogue," Wen said.

The DPRK announced its withdrawal from the talks after the UN released a statement that criticized DPRK's April 5 rocket launch.

Wen also said his "most important impression" during the visit was that DPRK hoped to improve ties with the United States, as well as with Japan and the ROK.

China had always urged all parties to increase understanding and trust through dialogue, he said.

The leaders of the ROK and Japan said that they too would remain committed to dialogue and consultation and continue to work through peaceful means to pursue denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Peng Kuang, Li Xiaokun and Xinhua contributed to the story

(China Daily 10/12/2009 page1)