China News Service, Beijing, November 28th, title: Wang Yi visits Japan and South Korea at special moments, and neighboring diplomacy has clarified "near goals" and "far plans"

　　Author Huang Yuqin

　　Although the new crown pneumonia epidemic has disrupted the established arrangements for high-level exchanges between China, Japan and South Korea this year, as "cloud diplomacy" gradually shifts to "face-to-face", China's "offline diplomacy" facing Northeast Asia is being fully restarted.

　　From November 24 to 27, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid official visits to Japan and South Korea, sending out important signals to the outside world such as the cooperation of neighbors in Northeast Asia to respond to the impact of the epidemic, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and stabilize the regional situation.

The visit at this special moment provides a unique perspective for the outside world to observe China's peripheral diplomacy in the post-epidemic era. From this perspective, both short-term goals and long-term plans are more clear.

　　The outside world has noticed that the timing of Wang Yi's visit to Japan and South Korea is not uncommon.

On the one hand, the epidemic is still spreading globally and the international landscape is evolving at an accelerated pace. It is urgent for countries in the region to conduct strategic communication to jointly meet challenges.

On the other hand, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), which lasted for eight years of negotiations, was successfully signed this month, adding new momentum to regional cooperation in East Asia.

　　"The impact of the epidemic and the signing of the RCEP have brought both challenges and opportunities for regional cooperation. This visit is launched in response to this latest change in the situation." Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished researcher of the Asia-Pacific Institute of the China Institute of International Studies, said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency. "The results of the visit are also closely related to the above-mentioned special background. China, Japan, and China and South Korea have reached important consensus on strengthening epidemic prevention and control and restoring personnel exchanges, and they also agreed to cooperate to promote the early entry into force of RCEP."

　　In the face of the continued spread of the epidemic, strengthening cooperation in epidemic prevention and control and post-epidemic economic recovery has become a top priority for China, Japan and South Korea, and is also one of the important short-term goals.

During the meeting between Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, the two sides agreed to start a "fast channel" within this month to facilitate the exchange of business and other necessary personnel between the two countries under the premise of strict prevention and control of the epidemic.

During the meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Wang Yi stated that the two sides should speed up the introduction of the China-South Korea Joint Economic and Trade Cooperation Plan (2021-2025), strengthen cooperation in high-tech and emerging industries, and agree to create better conditions for bilateral economic and trade cooperation .

　　Some commentators pointed out that China, Japan and South Korea accounted for nearly a quarter of the world’s economic scale. Faced with the urgent task of the moment, the three countries have set clear short-term goals and strengthened epidemic prevention and control and economic and trade cooperation. This is not only of great significance to the domestic economic recovery of the three countries, but also to the maintenance of the regional industrial chain supply chain. Stability will play a positive role in boosting the recovery of the entire East Asia and even the global economy.

　　At the same time, the signing of RCEP is the first time that China, Japan and South Korea are included in the same free trade framework.

Guo Yanjun, director of the Institute of Asian Studies of China Foreign Affairs University, told China News Agency that China, Japan and South Korea, as the top three economies of RCEP members, this world’s largest regional free trade agreement is conducive to the expansion and space of cooperation between the three countries, and it is important for the three parties to join forces to expand overseas. In the market, the promotion of "China, Japan and South Korea + x" cooperation will have a positive impact.

　　"Although it is necessary for the participating countries to complete the domestic legislative procedures before the RCEP officially takes effect, the information released from this visit shows that jointly promoting the RCEP to take effect as soon as possible and maintaining the multilateral trading system has become an important consensus of the three countries." Guo Yanjun said.

　　It is worth noting that in addition to the consensus among the three countries that RCEP will take effect as soon as possible, Wang Yi expressed his willingness to advance the process of China-Japan-ROK free trade negotiations during his visit to Japan and South Korea, and received positive responses.

Observations pointed out that in response to external doubts about the need for the RCEP signing to weaken the construction of the China-Japan-Korea free trade zone, the consensus of the three parties has made a targeted response to related queries.

　　Xiang Haoyu analyzed that the construction of China-Japan-Korea free trade area is an important path and goal for the improvement and upgrading of China-Japan-Korea cooperation. Under the new situation, the construction of the three-nation free trade area has more long-term significance.

On the one hand, it will provide a new demonstration of global high-level openness and high-quality cooperation. On the other hand, higher-level trade systems and rules can be free traded with various regions such as RCEP and CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement). The arrangement forms complementarity and promotes the deepening of cooperation in East Asia and even the Asia-Pacific region.

　　It is undeniable that in the post-epidemic era, the development of China-Japan-Korea relations still faces challenges.

Whether it is risks in the traditional security field, or disputes over territorial sovereignty, there will still exist.

The comments here believe that maintaining peace and stability in the periphery is an important goal of China's neighboring diplomacy, and achieving this goal requires effective management of differences through long-term planning.

　　Experts noticed that during his visit to Japan and South Korea, Wang Yi did not shy away from disagreements, but emphasized the need to take a long-term view, effectively manage conflicts and differences, and propose targeted measures.

During the talks with the South Korean side, Wang Yi expressed the hope that the South Korean side will properly handle sensitive issues between China and South Korea and maintain the foundation of mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries.

During the talks with the Japanese side, China and Japan jointly decided to open a direct telephone line through the maritime and air liaison mechanism between the two defense agencies within this year, to further strengthen risk management and control, and enhance mutual trust in security.

　　"The management and control of differences requires long-term planning. High-level consensus and political leadership have always played an irreplaceable and important role in the trilateral relationship between China, Japan and South Korea." Guo Yanjun pointed out that the three parties need to maintain high-level exchanges and communication to jointly maintain regional stability and seek conflicts and differences. Mechanism-based solutions to prevent the tripartite cooperation from being disturbed by sensitive issues.

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