South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during last weekend’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa, Lee’s office said in a statement on Monday.
During a speech on Sunday, Lee pledged to make the G20 gathering remain the most influential forum for international cooperation when South Korea hosts the event in 2028.
Mutual Trust
South Korea’s President told Li that he was hoping for a meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing in the near future, and that Li said he would deliver the message to Xi, according to a statement.
Lee said communication is important to build up mutual trust between the two countries, and that Li agreed with that, the statement said.
At the meeting with Japan’s Takaichi, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral relations amid a precarious international order, Lee’s office said.
Lee and Takaichi emphasised their commitment to “shuttle diplomacy” and their future-oriented cooperation in the economy, security and other areas, reports The Korean Herald.
The Korea Herald reported that this is their second meeting between Lee and Takaichi, having sat down for talks on Oct. 30 on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
Japan-China Spat
The Kyodo News reported that Sanae Takaichi and Li Qiang did not exchange words during the G20 summit, as the two nations remain divided over the Japanese PM’s comments on a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan.
In a fresh warning from Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted Sunday by his ministry as saying the current Japanese leader had openly sent a wrong signal by attempting to intervene militarily in the Taiwan question, crossing a red line that should not have been touched.
After attending the two-day summit in her G20 debut, Takaichi told reporters that she had not arranged a meeting with Li.
“Japan is open to dialogue at various levels,” Takaichi said. “There are concerns and issues between Japan and China. That’s why we should work to reduce them, understand each other and cooperate more,” she added.
(with inputs from Reuters)
