Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung shake hands before their meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, October 30, 2025. (©Kyodo)
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and visiting South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will meet in Takaichi's hometown of Nara on January 13. Takaichi visited South Korea in the fall of 2025. For both countries, the upcoming meeting is the latest in a round of shuttle diplomacy.
Already, on January 5, Lee met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing while on a state visit to China. The Chinese side gave Lee a warm reception, and the leaders signed 15 memorandums of understanding related to economic cooperation.
Xi declared, "Over 80 years ago, China and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) made great sacrifices in resisting Japanese militarism and achieved victory." He added, " Both countries, with broad common interests, should stand firmly on the right side of history and make correct strategic choices."
Xi added, "China and South Korea shoulder important responsibilities in safeguarding regional peace and promoting global development."
In other words, Xi was calling for South Korea to join China in opposing Japan.
Wooing Lee Jae-myung
The Chinese government has vehemently criticized Prime Minister Takaichi. They particularly dislike her response to a question in the Diet regarding a Taiwan emergency.
Clearly, China wants to improve relations between Beijing and Seoul. Bilateral ties had deteriorated under former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Yoon's administration was perceived as being pro-American and pro-Japanese.
This time, Xi rolled out the red carpet for Lee as part of China's strategy to divide Japan and South Korea. Its ultimate goal is to cause dissension among the three democracies of Japan, the United States, and South Korea.
However, Lee advocates a "pragmatic diplomacy" that prioritizes national interests. He responded diplomatically, saying only, "Our two countries (China and South Korea) worked together at a time when their national sovereignty was taken away."
Lee therefore adopted a stance of distancing South Korea from the current standoff between China and Japan. For his part, Xi definitely appeared disappointed.
China-South Korean Strain
Distrust of China is deeply rooted in today's South Korea. In 2016, Seoul decided to deploy the US military's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system, known as THAAD. Since then, China has increased pressure on South Korea. That includes restricting the broadcasting and performance of South Korean music and dramas in China.
For a time, Beijing also banned Chinese tour groups from visiting the country. However, China's repeated attempts to intimidate South Korea appear to have backfired.
Incidentally, Xi's remarks regarding history are definitely off. Neither the People's Republic of China (PRC) nor the Republic of Korea existed at the end of World War II. In China, Japan mainly fought against Nationalist forces representing the Republic of China, the ROC. In addition, since all of Korea was then part of the Empire of Japan, many Koreans served in the Japanese military.
Hopefully, at their summit on Tuesday, Prime Minister Takaichi and President Lee will strongly convey the message that, as democratic nations, cooperation between Japan and South Korea, as well as Japan, the United States, and South Korea, is the true key to peace and stability in the region.
The authoritarian states of China, North Korea, and Russia are firmly established in Northeast Asia, and the security environment is severe. Prime Minister Takaichi's diplomatic skills are certain to be put to the test in the days to come.
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Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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