SEOUL- In a significant diplomatic development, South Korea, Japan, and China convened for a rare trilateral meeting on Tuesday, with the primary aim of addressing Beijing's concerns about the growing cooperation between the two U.S. allies and Washington.

The meeting seeks to pave the way for the revival of three-way summits among the leaders of these nations, which had last taken place in 2019. These summits were suspended due to a range of disputes, including legal, diplomatic, and trade issues stemming from Japan's occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have been making efforts to mend relations between their countries.

In August, they made history by participating in a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, during which they pledged to enhance cooperation, particularly in the realms of defense and economic security.

A high-ranking South Korean government official, speaking anonymously, acknowledged China's proactive approach in seeking trilateral cooperation. This comes in the wake of strained relations between Seoul and Beijing since 2017, triggered by the deployment of a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea.

The official commented, "I'm sure there should be some discomfort on their side regarding our increasingly close trilateral security partnerships with the United States and Japan." They added that China appears to be recognizing the need to manage its bilateral ties more effectively, considering how their previous responses to the THAAD deployment had led to increased anti-China sentiments.

In response to these developments, experts anticipate that Beijing will likely leverage trilateral trade ties to counterbalance the U.S. strategy, promote people-to-people exchanges, and engage in enhanced communication and dialogue with Seoul and Tokyo on security and defense matters.

Japan and South Korea share a mutual interest in maintaining a stable security relationship with China and seeking Beijing's cooperation in addressing North Korea's extensive nuclear development program. These shared interests offer opportunities for strategic communication, confidence-building, and crisis prevention.

While trilateral summits have traditionally included China's premier, South Korea is now pushing for a separate visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. South Korea, as the host for this year's three-way meetings, has proposed a trilateral summit in December.

In response to these developments, China's foreign ministry spokesperson emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation, stating that China, Japan, and South Korea are close neighbors and vital cooperative partners, and that strengthening trilateral ties serves their common interests.