South Korea Navigates rising Sino-Japanese Tensions with Pragmatic Diplomacy
By Guy Yuna, BBC Korea
South Korea is carefully calibrating its foreign policy as President Lee Jae-myung undertakes a crucial summit with Japan following a recent visit to China, a move that places the nation’s pragmatic diplomatic strategy under intense scrutiny amidst escalating tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.
President Lee arrived in Japan today, January 13th, for a two-day visit culminating in a summit meeting and dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara Prefecture. this Korea-Japan summit gains meaning as it occurs shortly after President Lee’s state visit to China, where he and President Xi Jinping declared a “full restoration of Korea-China relations.”
The timing is especially sensitive, as relations between China and Japan have deteriorated following China’s imposition of export controls on rare earth minerals – a response to Prime Minister Takaichi’