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Trade, Taiwan in focus as Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets leaders of Japan, South Korea ahead of 3-way summit in Seoul
- Premier Li and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agree on high-level economic dialogue but Taiwan reference draws reproof
- Talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol see Li call to jointly ‘oppose turning economic and trade issues into political or security issues’
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Yuanyue Dangin Beijing
Trade and Taiwan were the highlights as Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with the leaders of Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Sunday, a day ahead of their first trilateral summit in more than four years.
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While observers say Monday’s summit is unlikely to yield significant results amid geopolitical tensions, a return to the table after 2019 is still seen as a signal of the three neighbours’ interest in improving relations.
China and Japan agreed to launch a new round of high-level economic dialogue as Li held his first official meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday afternoon, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News, Kishida also asked that China lift its ban on imports of Japanese seafood. The ban, imposed last year by an angry Beijing after Japan went ahead with plans to release radioactive water from its damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, has cast a shadow over bilateral relations.
Li demanded that Japan “fulfil its own responsibilities and obligations” on the issue, while also urging that it “properly handle the issues of history and Taiwan”, according to CCTV.
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The Kyodo report said Kishida had mentioned the importance of a stable Taiwan Strait during his talks with Li and conveyed Tokyo’s “serious concern” about Beijing’s military expansion.
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