A tripartite summit must be held shortly

Bek Bum-hym
The author is a deputysecretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat.

The Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) held an event at the Cheonggye Plaza in downtown Seoul on May 30. TCS is an intergovernmental organization established in Seoul in 2011 to promote lasting peace, mutual prosperity and cultural commonality among the three countries. The highlight of the event, attended by many Seoulites and tourists who visited the venue that day, was the naming of the crested ibis, chosen as the symbol of cooperation among the three countries.

The bird was given the name “Yeonwu” in Korean through a vote by the people of Korea, Japan and China. It means “bridging friendship” among the three countries. The birds could be easily seen anywhere in Korea, but they became extinct in 1979 due to the destruction of the ecosystem following the Korean War and industrialization. The situation in Japan was not much different from that in Korea. The birds were last seen in Japan in 1993.

Fortunately, a few wild ibises survived in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province of China. The crested ibises found near Upo wetland in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang are descendants of the birds donated by China in 2008 and 2013. In 1999, Japan also succeeded in artificially breeding the birds in an island in Niigata Prefecture by using the crested ibises donated by China.

Despite their differences, Korea, Japan and China are countries that import and process raw materials, including energy, and then export them overseas. The three countries are experiencing sharply-declining birthrates and rapid-aging societies. The three have to find their own way of survival amid complex crises caused by strategic competition between the U.S. and China, the Ukraine war and climate changes. All three are in a situation like a small boat sailing in a dark stormy sea.

The Korea-Japan-China summit, which served as a diplomatic compass for the three, has not been held since the 2019 meeting in Chengdu, China. Coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, the worsening international situation from strategic contest between America and China has obstructed the trilateral summit from being held.

Why should the trilateral summit be resumed? First, it will help overcome the aftermaths brought about by the reduction in people-to-people exchanges caused by the pandemic. It will be of great help in resolving the restrictions on people-to-people exchanges directly related to international business and easing public sentiments against the other country.

Second, the trilateral summit will help the economies of the three countries regain their vitality by maintaining value chains and supply chains. All three economies have lost their vitality due to the pandemic, strategic competition between the U.S. and China, and the deceasing labor and purchasing powers from low birthrates. Korea has been recording a trade deficit for 15 consecutive months and a decline in economic growth.

Third, the trilateral summit will be a great opportunity to discuss issues such as regional security, environment and climate change. There are many pending issues on which the leaders of the three countries need to put together their wisdom, such as the security issues on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and energy supply and demand.

Fourth, strengthening trilateral cooperation through the summit will play a key role in promoting peace and stability in East Asia and the West Pacific region.

As we can see from the case of the crested ibises, Korea, Japan and China — which share the Korean Strait and the Yellow Sea — must overcome crises together, become stimulant for one another, and maintain and develop peace. The three countries must expel the ghost of nationalism from their minds. For the sake of the three countries’ future, their people must deepen their understanding of one another with an open mind.

Korea is currently standing at a crossroads for its survival as a nation, as it suffers its ultralow birthrate of 0.78 and intensified deglobalization. The two crises are like a ticking time bomb that can destroy Korea at any moment. First, it needs to improve and strengthen relations with neighbors Japan and China. To resolve the fundamental security and economic issues facing the three countries, the trilateral summit must take place as soon as possible.

Korea is the host of the upcoming summit. Only when the three countries’ leaders put their heads together and have serious discussions can they resolve the problems that have accumulated so far and move forward together.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.