Foreign and Military Affairs

ROK, China, Japan to meet on quake, trade deal

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-20 14:30

SEOUL - Top trade officials of South Korea, China and Japan will gather later this week for talks over the potential economic impact of Japan's March earthquake, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The one-day talks to kick off in Tokyo Sunday will bring together Kim Jong-hoon of South Korea, Chen Deming of China and Banri Kaieda of Japan, who are also expected to discuss a potential three-way free trade agreement and regional economic cooperation.

The three Asian powerhouses have been exploring feasibility of a trilateral trade pact. South Korea has also been considering a possibility of striking separate similar deals with China and Japan, respectively.

Seoul and Tokyo are scheduled to hold separate talks on the sidelines of the trilateral meeting to discuss bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the wake of Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, according to the ministry.