key takeaways
- The leaders of Japan, China, and South Korea held their first trilateral summit since 2019, revealed a shared interest in improving their ties even as security competition has increased.
- Both the Japanese and Chinese governments appear to be interested in a rapprochement, particularly to safeguard their economic ties.
- Any rapprochement is likely to be fragile, vulnerable to security friction and domestic politics — but it could receive a boost from US protectionism.
Japan Foresight 