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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi offers to help Japan and South Korea to settle trade dispute

  • Beijing uses three-way summit to present itself as well-placed to resolve conflict between its East Asian neighbours
  • Tokyo is planning to remove its former colony’s preferential trade status in a row prompted by a court ruling over compensation for forced labour victims

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gestures to his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha at a press conference with their Japanese counterpart Taro Kono. Photo: AP

China promised on Wednesday to accelerate free-trade negotiations with South Korea and Japan after offering to help mediate the bitter trade conflict between Tokyo and Seoul.

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The offer was made at the annual trilateral meeting between the countries, with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urging Tokyo and Seoul to resolve their confrontation through dialogue.

Wang met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts Kang Kyung-wha and Taro Kono at Gubei Water Town near the Great Wall in Beijing at the start of three-day summit the previous day.

Beijing is using the platform to position itself as well-placed to help settle the dispute in line with its emphasis on upholding multilateralism in contrast with the increasingly protectionist stance taken by the US under Donald Trump.

Beijing has also suggested that the three countries could work together on investment or development projects in third countries.

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