Japan and South Korea Hold Summit in Nara as China Steps Up Pressure Over Taiwan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Nara on Tuesday for a high-profile summit intended to showcase cordial ties while managing rising regional tensions after Beijing's protest over Ms. Takaichi's comments about Taiwan.

The meeting comes days after President Lee visited Beijing and met Chinese leader Xi Jinping, underscoring Seoul's efforts to balance relations with both Tokyo and Beijing.

The immediate backdrop is a diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing triggered by Takaichi's November suggestion that Japan might intervene if China attacked Taiwan. China, which regards Taiwan as its territory, responded by imposing export controls on "dual-use" items with potential military applications. Tokyo has warned that such measures raise the prospect of disruptions to critical supplies, including rare earths used in advanced industries.

Both Japan and South Korea — close U.S. partners — are also expected to compare notes on Washington, where analysts say President Donald Trump's unpredictable tariffs and "America First" posture have unsettled longstanding expectations about U.S. policy.

Geopolitical Incentive

"Tense regional geopolitics could provide Takaichi and Lee further impetus for wanting to build stronger relations," said Benoit Hardy-Chartrand, an East Asia geopolitics expert at Temple University's Tokyo campus. The leaders last met in October on the margins of the APEC summit in Gyeongju, and this will be Lee's second trip to Japan since August.

The two are scheduled to hold formal talks and share a dinner to discuss regional and global issues. In public they are expected to emphasize warming ties, practical cooperation in trade and technology, and a continued rhythm of "shuttle diplomacy" through regular meetings.

Privately, officials say talks will likely focus on the Japan-China crisis and the wider consequences of Beijing's retaliatory measures. "Beijing's export controls will have an impact on Korea as well," Hardy-Chartrand told AFP, noting the three countries' tightly intertwined supply chains.

"From the standpoint of peace and stability in Northeast Asia, confrontation between China and Japan is undesirable," President Lee told Japanese public broadcaster NHK. "We can only wait for China and Japan to resolve matters amicably through dialogue."

Bitter Memories

Historical tensions remain a complicating factor. Bitter memories of Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945 continue to cast a long shadow over Tokyo-Seoul relations, shaping public attitudes and diplomatic sensitivities.

Observers say Seoul likely timed Lee's visits to Beijing and Japan to demonstrate neutrality and avoid appearing to favor one power over the other. Analysts also expect the leaders to explore ways to mitigate economic coercion, strengthen supply-chain resilience and reassert common security and economic interests in the face of regional uncertainty.

Lee, who took office in 2025, is viewed as relatively more dovish toward North Korea than his conservative predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law in December 2024 and was later removed from office. Lee has characterized the two countries as "neighbours sharing a front yard," emphasizing close geographic and practical links despite historical frictions.