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The annual China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting is held in China's southwestern city Chengdu this week. Against the backdrop of economic uncertainties and rising unilateralism sentiments, this year's meeting has attracted a great deal of attention.

"Free trade, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and Japan-ROK relations are top concerns of the three neighboring countries," Zhou Yongsheng, a professor at the Institute of International Relations, China Foreign Affairs University, told CGTN. Peace and stability in Northeast Asia is of vital importance to the entire world. However, the region has seen a slew of conflicts in the past few years – trade friction, the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), nuclear threats and so forth. In this context, promoting trilateral cooperation is top on this year's agenda.

Trade is an indispensable part in trilateral cooperation. China, Japan, and the ROK have been negotiating for a free trade agreement (FTA) for almost 10 years, but no major breakthrough has been seen so far. Without suspense, the three powers will take advantage of this year's meeting to push for the FTA's signing that is in line with the core interests of the region. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that is due to be signed next year is another major item of the meeting.

Apart from free trade, Japan and the ROK have been particularly concerned about the DPRK's nuclear construction. Earlier, the DRPK warned it would deliver a "Christmas gift" to the United States after months of stalled nuclear negotiations. As the year-end deadline approaches, all concerning parties are closely watching the situation in the Korean Peninsula, and the Northeast Asian neighbors will not waste this opportunity to discuss the DPRK's denuclearization issue, Zhou said.

It is also worth noting that the trilateral meeting is held at the time when Japan and the ROK are mired in trade friction. Leaders of both countries are eager to settle the bitter trade disputes during this week's meeting, especially as Tokyo is also embroiled in trade disputes with the United States. Sound Tokyo-Seoul relationship is also what Beijing is happy to see, Zhou told CGTN.

This year's meeting is a chance to boost not only trilateral, but also bilateral, relations. Take the China-Japan relationship as an example. The two Asian economic powerhouses have seen concrete progresses in their ties recently. This, according to Zhou, is a result of hybrid factors. To begin with, geographic location determines the two neighbors must cooperate, not confront against each other, for win-win results.

In addition, both economies have suffered from trade wars that U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally launched his "Make America Great Again" campaign. China and Japan can take advantage of each other's market to compensate the losses they suffered from the trade disputes with the U.S., Zhou said. The trilateral meeting this week is an unmissable opportunity for Beijing and Tokyo to further stabilize their warming relations. Against the backdrop of rising unilateralism sentiments, the two Asian giants are mutually dependent for development.

Regarding the prospect of trilateral relations between China, Japan and the ROK, Zhou noted that the three countries must promote their collaborations in a pragmatical way and take advantage of the meeting to promote the FTA and the RCEP. The three neighbors can reap concrete interests from a free trade zone, but not empty slogans, Zhou added.

While Japan, in recent years, have established the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and clinched the Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, China-proposed RCEP still has a long way to go, Zhou noted. Facilitating the FTA and RCEP, and promoting pragmatic cooperation among the three Northeast Asian countries is of vital importance at the current stage, which is in the benefit of not only the region, but also the world.

Written by Liu Jianxi

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