The text discusses a recent trilateral meeting between senior leaders from Japan, China, and South Korea in Seoul. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin emphasized the importance of peace and stability in Northeast Asia, given the collective influence of these three countries on the global stage. The meeting came after a similar gathering before the pandemic in 2019.
The conversation also touches on the recent meetings in Camp David involving South Korea and Japan, with the US and China. The analyst Clifford Coonan suggests that these meetings could signal a shift in China's diplomatic approach towards its neighbors.
However, the text also highlights the economic interdependence of these countries, with each being China's largest trading partner. This economic angle adds complexity to the political situation, as the countries navigate their political interests while maintaining economic ties.
The text concludes with a discussion on the disappearances of high-level Chinese officials, which has raised concerns about the leadership of Xi Jinping. The analyst suggests that these disappearances could be a sign of power consolidation or a way for Xi to assert his authority. However, it also notes that Xi's actions are consistent with classical Marxist-Leninist models of governance, suggesting that these disappearances could be normal for him.
Overall, the text paints a picture of a complex geopolitical landscape with shifting alliances, economic interdependence, and ongoing power dynamics.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Senior leaders from Japan, China, and South Korea met in Seoul for a trilateral meeting, the last of which took place in 2019 before the pandemic.
2. The meeting was significant because the three countries collectively account for 20% of the world's population and 25% of global GDP.
3. The South Korean foreign minister, Park Jin, expressed hope for a follow-up trilateral meeting at the highest level within the year.
4. There was another big trilateral meeting last month involving South Korea and Japan, hosted by the Americans at Camp David.
5. The meeting in Camp David may have raised alarm bells in Beijing, prompting China to start a diplomatic process with its neighbors, including Japan and South Korea.
6. China's influence in North Korea is a big factor in why the three countries are meeting, with South Korea hoping China can use its influence to address concerns.
7. Each of the three countries, including the United States, has China as its biggest trading partner.
8. There have been recent debates about economic coercion, with China using economic coercion to exert political pressure on its neighbors.
9. China is experiencing an unprecedented period of uncertainty, with a slowing economy and growing anti-China sentiment among its regional neighbors and in the West.
10. There have been a series of high-profile disappearances of Chinese officials, including the foreign minister, Qingang, and the commander of the People's Liberation Army rocket force, Lee Yu Chao.
11. The disappearances are seen as a sign of weakness in Xi Jinping's leadership, but also as a way for him to consolidate his power and assert his authority.
12. Xi Jinping has a background in the Communist Party and has grown up with the culture of purges, which he is now using to assert his power.
13. The disappearances are having an impact on the respective ministries, with the defense ministry having to defer to Xi Jinping on every decision.
14. The international diplomatic community is aware of the disappearances and is reading them as a sign of Xi Jinping's growing paranoia and assertiveness.
15. There are rumors that more dismissals are to come, and that Xi Jinping will further embed his power in the army, suggesting that something may be happening on Taiwan or the South China Sea.