[G20 Summit] Yoon-Xi, Will the Meeting Happen... Targeting China in the South Korea-US-Japan Joint Statement

Chinese Media Report President Xi's Bilateral Meeting Schedule
No Mention of South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyun-jung] Ahead of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit, the three countries of South Korea, the United States, and Japan have issued a joint statement outlining cooperation measures on security and the economy. Meanwhile, evaluations suggest that the possibility of a formal meeting between the South Korean and Chinese leaders is becoming increasingly unlikely. Chinese state-run media also report that Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with major leaders such as those of the United States and France, but rarely mention the possibility of a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

According to local media including China’s state-run CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, and the Global Times (GT) on the 13th, President Xi will attend the G20 summit held in Bali, Indonesia from the 14th to the 17th of this month, and will visit Thailand from the 17th to the 19th to participate in the APEC summit. The media reported that President Xi is expected to hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and Argentine President Alberto Fern?ndez, among others. There was no mention of South Korea or President Yoon.

On the same day, the three countries of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan launched a cooperative framework centered on advanced technology, effectively increasing pressure on China. At the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Presidents Yoon and Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida adopted and announced the "Phnom Penh Statement on the Indo-Pacific South Korea-U.S.-Japan Tripartite Partnership." The statement formalizes closer cooperation and coordination, and is interpreted as a declaration to build a joint front effectively targeting North Korea and China.

The three leaders condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile provocations and attempts at a seventh nuclear test, and agreed on cooperation for regional security. In particular, they agreed to share North Korean missile warning information in real time, which analysts suggest could be perceived as a signal of future joint military pressure on China by the U.S. and its allies. Regarding supply chain issues, they also committed to jointly responding to global crises and announced the establishment of the "South Korea-U.S.-Japan Economic Security Dialogue" to coordinate trilateral initiatives on semiconductor supply chain diversification, research and development, and workforce development. The statement also expressed the intention to cooperate through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), launched by the U.S. in May to counter China.

So far, both South Korea and China have remained tight-lipped about the possibility of an official meeting between their leaders. On the 11th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to related questions by saying, "There is no news to announce," and only asked for continued attention. The South Korean presidential office also stated, "Please wait and see."

On the 12th of this month, President Yoon met with Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Kishida in Phnom Penh and held talks, but Premier Li only emphasized a formal willingness to open up. Premier Li, who is likely to step down in March next year, explained, "We will firmly implement a mutually beneficial and win-win opening-up strategy, adhere to the correct direction of economic globalization, and promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment," adding, "There is no reason for us not to open up externally, and the door to opening will become wider and wider." However, when President Yoon expressed concerns about North Korea’s provocations, Premier Li reportedly expressed China’s intention to play a constructive role in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, after completing his schedule in Phnom Penh, President Yoon moved to Bali, Indonesia, where the G20 summit is being held, on the evening of the 13th. President Yoon is expected to attend the B20 Summit, which includes economic organizations and business leaders from G20 member countries, and the G20 schedule in Bali on the 14th and 15th, before returning home on the 16th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.