The region has no table, Korea must rekindle the trilateral
Near the end of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Japanese Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi and Qing statesman Li Hongzhang signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, in which Qing China acknowledged Joseon as a fully independent and sovereign state. It stripped away Chinese influence over the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty — a moment still invoked today as a symbol of China's "Century of Humiliation."…
In 1895, Japanese Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi and Qing statesman Li Hongzhang concluded the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which recognized the independence of the Korean Joseon Dynasty and reduced Chinese influence. This event, still referenced today as a symbol of China's Century of Humiliation, took place at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War.
Fast-forward to 2026, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, driven by his vision for the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," opposes the declining rules-based post-World War II international order. Instead, he seeks to restore the East Asian order that existed before 1895. This opposition contrasts with U.S. President Donald Trump's stance, which rejects the same order and pushes the world toward multipolarity.
The region of Northeast Asia is now at the forefront of global geopolitics, requiring South Korea to adopt creative and flexible approaches to geopolitics. Crucial to this strategy is the revival of a trilateral Korea-China-Japan dialogue and cooperation framework. Above all, South Korea must strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance and foster Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation to navigate this complex geopolitical landscape.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- The region has no table, Korea must rekindle the trilateral koreatimes.co.kr
