Japan-China-S. Korea Ministerial Meeting Postponed

Beijing/Seoul, Nov. 20 (Jiji Press)–A meeting of culture ministers from Japan, China, and South Korea, scheduled for Monday in Macau, has been postponed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a press conference Thursday. Mao said that the foundation and atmosphere for trilateral cooperation have been destroyed by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark on a possible Taiwan contingency. The conditions for holding a meeting among the countries are not in place, she also said. With the Japan-China rift over Takaichi’s remark spilling over into three-way ties, the prospect of an early summit in Japan among the three East Asian neighbors has become dim. According to a source in South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Beijing requested the postponement on Tuesday. The three countries had sought to hold a summit in Japan, but this has faced scheduling difficulties due to a presidential election in South Korea and the resignation of Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba. The possibility of a prolonged confrontation between Japan and China has made a trilateral summit all the more unlikely. Tokyo is exploring the possibility of Takaichi making contact with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the two-day Group of 20 summit in South Africa from Saturday. But Mao told the press conference that Li has no plans to hold talks with a Japanese leader. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]