The ice-thawing meeting to be held over the weekend among leaders of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea will provide new incentives for regional cooperation and promote the stability of all of Asia and even the Asia-Pacific region, experts said.[Special coverage]
Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and ROK President Park Geun-hye are set to meet on Sunday, after a three-year hiatus in such talks due to disputes over wartime history and territorial issues. It will be the first time for Li to officially visit the ROK as Chinese premier.
The leaders are set to discuss topics including international cooperation on production capacity, technological innovation, the coordination of development strategies, free trade talks and regional economic integration.
Piao Jianyi, a researcher of Korean Peninsula studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the meeting will be the most important diplomatic event for China regarding Northeastern Asia relations.
"Considering the economic clout of these three countries in Asia, decisions made at the meeting by the three leaders will influence the future of Asia and even Asia-Pacific at large," he said.
"The leaders will exchange views on trilateral relations and regional issues, such as pushing for peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," he said. "Although the restart of the meeting does not necessarily mean that the three countries have overcome their problems, it shows an intention to handle the differences."
Shigeo Iwatani, a Japanese diplomat and former secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, said the meeting will be a big push for the trilateral relations.
"It could take a new major initiative to bring the level of cooperation one step forward," he said.
