---
title: "Foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China to meet in Tokyo on Saturday"
description: "The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China will hold a meeting in Tokyo on Saturday in the first such talks since 2023, the governments of the three East Asian nations said on Tuesday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-18-foreign-ministers-of-south-korea-japan-and-china-to-meet-in-tokyo-on-saturday/"
published: "2025-03-18T11:56:47"
updated: "2025-03-18T11:56:48"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 210
---

# Foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China to meet in Tokyo on Saturday

> The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China will hold a meeting in Tokyo on Saturday in the first such talks since 2023, the governments of the three East Asian nations said on Tuesday.

By Reuters · Published 18 March 2025, 13:56 SAST · Updated 18 March 2025, 13:56 SAST

## Key points
- In a diplomatic dance that could rival a K-pop choreography, South Korea, Japan, and China are set to hash out their regional rivalries and future cooperation, all while avoiding the awkwardness of a joint statement—because who needs consensus when you can just have a chat?
- Trilateral talks between South Korea, Japan, and China highlight growing uncertainties in domestic politics and U.S. foreign policy amidst U.S.-China tensions.
- Foreign ministers Cho Tae-yul, Takeshi Iwaya, and Wang Yi will discuss regional cooperation without a joint statement planned.
- The last trilateral meeting occurred in Busan in November 2023, with a summit held in May last year.
- A high-level economic dialogue between China and Japan will take place during the talks, alongside bilateral meetings between South Korea and the other two nations.

## Content

The trilateral talks come as Seoul and Tokyo, both key U.S. allies, face growing uncertainties in domestic politics and over President Donald Trump's policies amid the intensifying rivalry between the United States and China.

South Korea said its Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Takeshi Iwaya and Wang Yi, will discuss cooperation and exchange opinions on topics including the regional and international situation.

Although there is no plan to issue a joint statement, the top diplomats of the three countries will talk about "future-oriented cooperation", followed by a joint press announcement, Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya told a regular briefing.

The last trilateral meeting of foreign ministers was held in the city of Busan in November 2023, South Korea said. The leaders of the three countries held a summit in May last year.

On Saturday, China and Japan will have the first high-level economic dialogue in six years on the sidelines of the foreign ministers' talks, the governments said.

South Korea's Cho will also hold separate bilateral meetings with Iwaya and Wang on the sidelines of the trilateral meeting, its foreign ministry said.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Seoul and Kantaro Komiya in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Ed Davies and Kate Mayberry)