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WORLD NEWSMonday 2 November 2015
S. Korea, Japan, China leaders agree to mend strained ties
HYUNG-JIN KIM South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, walks with Jap- ring in bilateral and trilat- constructive role on North
Associated Press anese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keq- eral ties.” Korea issues, while Li called
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — iang, right, to hold a trilateral summit at the presidential house in Despite protests from Seoul for more patience to con-
The biggest result of the first Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. and Beijing, Abe hasn’t tinue efforts to achieve a
meeting of South Korean, yielded on his nationalism. nuclear-free Korean Pen-
Chinese and Japanese Associated Press Even so, the three coun- insula, according to Park’s
leaders in more than three tries, closely linked eco- office. The joint statement
years? More meetings. The countries also pledged Park said. The leaders did nomically, are pushing to Sunday said the three lead-
But for three Northeast to hold a leaders’ sum- not take questions at the find a way to improve ties. ers would push to resume
Asian economic and dip- mit every year and push news conference. On Saturday, Park and Li “meaningful” North Korean
lomatic heavyweights who to deepen their economic Starting his speech with a met separately and agreed nuclear disarmament talks
spend a huge amount of cooperation by accelerat- friendly “Hello” in Korean, to work toward ratifying by at an early date and reaf-
time bickering over history ing free trade negotiations Abe said he exchanged the end of the year a bilat- firmed their opposition to
and territory, the agree- among themselves. They opinions on how to achieve eral free trade agreement the development of nucle-
ment for more dialogue at also reaffirmed a resolve to regional prosperity with that their legislatures have ar weapons on the Korean
Sunday’s rare summit was resume stalled international Park and Li in a “consider- yet to approve. Peninsula.
a significant step forward. negotiations on North Ko- ably candid manner.” He Park is to meet Abe on South Korea, China, Japan
The long-running spat be- rea’s nuclear weapons pro- said Japan would host a Monday in what will be and North Korea are all
tween Seoul and Tokyo, gram. South Korean Presi- leaders’ summit next year. her first formal one-on-one part of now-dormant inter-
crucial U.S. allies, has been dent Park Geun-hye said “Due to the reason that meeting with him since her national negotiations on
especially worrying for at a joint news conference everyone knows, a trilat- inauguration in early 2013. ending Pyongyang’s nucle-
Washington as it looks to with Abe and Chinese Pre- eral cooperation has been Chinese President Xi Jin- ar ambitions. The other two
counter China’s rise and mier Li Keqiang that the hampered over the past ping met with Abe last No- members of the so-called
North Korea’s pursuit of nu- resumption of cooperation three years,” Li said through vember on the sidelines of six-party talks are the Unit-
clear bombs. among the countries was an interpreter. “We don’t a regional conference that ed States and Russia.
High-level contact be- “historically important.” want to see difficulties flar- Beijing hosted, and they’ve Despite widespread dis-
tween Tokyo and its two “I think we took a big step ing again in trilateral coop- met twice since. content in Seoul with Abe,
Asian neighbors nose-dived toward peace and pros- eration and summit talks, North Korea was on the Park has faced calls at
after hawkish Japanese perity in Northeast Asia,” and ups and downs occur- agenda at Sunday’s three- home to improve ties with
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe way meeting. Pyongyang’s Tokyo, and Washington has
took office in late 2012. Bei- nuclear bomb and missile pushed its two Asian allies
jing and Seoul see Abe as programs have long posed to heal their rift.
whitewashing Japan’s war- a serious security worry for South Korea and Japan to-
time atrocities. Seoul and Tokyo. China is gether host about 80,000
A joint statement issued North Korea’s only major U.S. troops, the core of
after the meeting said the ally and biggest aid bene- America’s military pres-
sides agreed to try to re- factor, but has shown signs ence in the Asia-Pacific.
solve history-related issues that it’s increasingly fed up Washington wants to solid-
and improve ties by “fac- with the North’s repeated ify its alliance with the two
ing history squarely and provocations. countries to better deal
advancing toward the fu- Park told Li that she wants with a rising China and a
ture.” China to continue to play a North Korean threat.q
