CHENGDU, China (AP) — Leaders from China, Japan and South Korea reiterated their commitment to ending North Korea's nuclear and missile programs at a trilateral summit Tuesday that comes against the backdrop of increasing demands by Pyongyang for sanctions relief.
Free trade and economic cooperation were also at the forefront of the meetings between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.
Li said the three agreed that “dialogue and consultation is the only effective way to solve the issues of Korea Peninsula."
“We three countries are willing to work together with the international community to solve the issue of Korea Peninsula in a political way,” Li said at a joint news conference following the meeting.
The North has threatened to take unspecified action if sanctions relief is not forthcoming by the end of the year. Speculation has centered on the possibility of conducting a new missile test, possibly of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
The North has said that what “Christmas gift” it gives the United States depends on Washington's actions.
Li, Abe and Moon also said they discussed furthering regional cooperation on the economy, the environment and people-to-people exchanges.
“We all advocate for free trade and promote economic integration. China holds that safeguarding free trade benefits the protection of multilateralism, of world peace," Li said.
Moon said the sides agreed to support efforts to restart talks between Washington and Pyongyang so that “denuclearization and peace ... could actually advance."
Abe echoed that stance, criticizing North Korean missile launches as violating U.N. resolutions and seriously threatening regional security.
“For that purpose, it was confirmed that full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions remains important, and we need to maintain the momentum of the U.S.-North Korea process,” Abe said.
Although China is North Korea's most important source of investment, diplomatic support and economic aid, it has shown little success in convincing Kim Jong Un's government to abandon its nuclear arsenal. The U.S. has demanded steps toward complete denuclearization before any sanctions can be lifted, while Beijing favors a multi-stage approach.
The trilateral summits between China, Japan and South Korea date back to the fallout from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which devastated businesses across the region and prompted moves toward greater economic integration. The three countries account for about 24% of world trade and have tightly bound supply chains, with more than $720 billion in trade moving between them last year.